<^^.^^.t..a^  cp^     /;       (j^    /{j/Z^^^^^ 


Isabella   Thoburn. 

See  paga  47. 


^FIRST   DECADE 


WoBiaii's  Foreign  lissionarj  Socictj 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH^ 


Witl:\  ^ketdl\e^  of  it^  ]VIi^^ioi\arie^. 


BY  MARY  SPARKES  WHEELER. 


INTRODUCTION  BY  BISHOP  J.  F.  HURST,  D.  D. 


A'EW  TOBK: 
PHILLIPS    &    HUNT. 

CmClNNATI: 

CSANSTON  d   8T0WE. 

1881. 


9tf 


Copynght  iS8i.  by 
PHILLIPS    &    HUNT, 

K'-w  York. 


TO   THE 
■WOMAN'S    FOREIGN    MISSIONARY    SOCIETY 

OF  THE 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL  CHURCH, 

ITS 

OFFICERS,    HOME    WORKUPS.    ANO    NODI  E    BAND    OF   MISSIONARIES, 

WHOSK 

LOVE,  LABOR.  AND  SACRIFICE 

MADE     THIS     RECORD     A     POSSIBILITY, 

THIS   VOLUME 

IS  MOST  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED  BY 

THE   AUTHOR. 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2007  witii  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcli  ive.org/details/firstdecadeofwomOOwlieeiala 


PREFACE 


'  I  ^HE  preparation  of  this  volume  was  commenced 

-*-  early  in  the  year  1878  ;  but  the  work  has  been 
delayed  longer  than  we  anticipated,  because  of  the 
time  required  to  conduct  the  preliminary  corre- 
spondence, extending,  of  necessity,  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.  We  have  spared  neither  time  nor  pains 
to  make  the  volume  reliable. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  sketches  we  have  made 
no  statements  without  most  ample  warrant,  either 
from  the  missionaries  themselves  or  from  their  own 
personal  friends  ;  and  we  would  gratefully  record 
our  especial  obligation  to  these  persons  for  their 
prompt  and  generous  aid. 

We  propose  to  give  our  readers  only  a  part  of  the 
history  of  our  toilers  in  foreign  fields.  Just  so  much 
is  presented  as  precedes  and  covers  the  first  ten 
years  of  our  Society. 

Believing  that  a  missionary  should  be  divinely 
called  to  the  work,  and  knowing  the  anxiety  that 
young  candidates  have  with  regard  to  the  nature  of 
this  call,  we  have,  for  the  guidance  and  encourage- 
ment of  such,  entered,  in  some  instances,  into  a 


8  PREFACE. 

detailed  account  of  the  religious  experience  and  call 
of  our  ladies  to  missionary  work. 

It  was  our  design  to  let  the  missionaries  speak 
for  themselves  in  relation  to  their  work,  and  we  had 
made  ample  quotations  from  their  letters,  but  want 
of  space,  and  the  desire  of  the  publishers  to  keep 
the  dimensions  of  the  work  within  certain  limits, 
made  it  impossible  to  carry  out  the  original  plan. 

We  hope  this  will  be  a  sufficient  explanation  and 
apology  to  the  friends  who  have  kindly  furnished 
us  material,  for  the  non-appearance  of  letters  and 
other  papers  which  were  sent  to  the  writer  to  be 
embodied  in  the  work. 

We  would  also  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to 
"  Women  of  the  Orient,"  and  the  "  Heathen  Wom- 
an's Friend,"  from  which  we  have  made  some  valu- 
able quotations. 

M.  S.  W. 
Columbia,  July^  1880, 


INTRODUCTIOI^. 


My  dear  Mrs.  Wheeler  :  Your  request  to  say  a 
word  of  introduction  in  relation  to  the  following 
History  has  reached  me,  and  I  have  already  exam- 
ined your  work  with  intense  interest.  It  tells  its 
own  story  of  such  tender  and  heroic  romance  as 
can  be  found  only  in  the  highest  of  all  spheres — a 
profound  religious  experience,  thoroughly  enjoyed 
by  the  heart,  and  seeking  expression  in  noble  ef- 
forts to  bring  others  to  the  same  great  joy. 

I  am  glad  to  know  that  the  first  years  of  the  life 
of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  with 
their  singular  record  of  sublime  faith  and  far-reach- 
ing achievement,  are  not  allowed  to  pass  into  dim 
and  shadowy  myth,  or  to  be  imprisoned  in  the 
official  pigeon-holes  of  the  centers  where  your  work 
is  managed,  or  to  be  limited  to  such  loose  and 
fugitive  memoranda  as  have  no  bearing  on  the  sym- 
pathy of  Christian  hearts  the  world  over.  Certainly 
ten  such  years  have  furnished  enough  material  for  a 
book,  whether  we  take  into  account  the  beneficent 
response  which  the  appeal  of  your  Society  has  met 
with  from  the  public ;  the  character  of  the  women 
who  have  borne  the  Gospel  with  glad  hearts  and 
strong  hands  to  their  less-favored  sisters ;  or  the 
direct  and  apparent  results  of  your  decade  of  evan- 
gelization  and    of  woman's   ministration    in    dark 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

pagan  homes.  Napoleon  used  to  ask,  when  a  sol- 
dier's name  was  presented  for  promotion,  "  What 
has  he  done?"  If  the  question  be  asked,  What  has 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  done  ? 
your  pages  contain  such  reply  as  ought  to  make  all 
who  have  given  their  means  for  your  better  work 
double  their  contributions,  and  in  their  private  de- 
votions, more  than  ever,  beseech  our  heavenly 
Father  to  give  his  increase  to  the  pure  seeds  of 
truth  that  Christian  women  have  been  scattering, 
in  the  patience  of  strong  faith,  over  many  lands. 

The  work  of  the  Society  is  not  a  novelty  in 
Christian  life.  Its  glory  consists,  not  in  that  it  is 
an  invention  of  the  century,  but  in  the  gratifying 
fact,  that  it  has  its  place  in  the  group  of  the  inspi- 
rations and  religious  fervor  of  good  women  in  all 
the  centuries.  Your  Society  has  not  originated  its 
fundamental  thought ;  it  has  simply  found  it,  and 
has  gone  bravely  to  work  to  give  it  new  drapery 
and  a  wider  field.  The  elder  sacred  history  abounds 
in  rich  illustrations  of  womanly  interest  in  the  great 
suffering  world.  Miriam  sang  the  gladness  of  a  na- 
tion, and  Deborah  knew  as  well  how  to  rule  a  tur- 
bulent people  as  to  destroy  any  army  that  might 
rise  against  them.  That  Christianity  placed  on 
womanhood  a  new  emphasis  can  be  seen  through- 
out the  Gospels.  Whether  it  was  the  angel  speak- 
ing to  Mary,  or  Jesus  lodging  in  the  humble  home 
of  Lazarus  and  his  sisters  in  Bethany,  or  the  women 
watching  in  silent  solitude  the  place  where  their  cru- 
cified Lord  lay,  in  all  places  and  at  all  times  it  was 
the  same — Christ  was  showing  that  whatever  else 
his  religion  was  to  do,  it  was  going  to  make  happy 


INTRODUCTION.  '   1 1 

homes,  and  women,  to  no  small  degree,  the  instru- 
jnents  of  the  regeneration  throughout  the  world. 
Lydia,  first  of  Paul's  converts  on  the  continent  of 
Europe,  became  a  bond  of  sympathy  for  scores  of 
his  small  and  feeble  believing  groups,  around  the 
classic  shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  names 
of  Julia,  Perpetua,  and  Felicitas  will  be  ever  associ- 
ated with  the  fearless  and  all-suffering  in  martyr- 
dom. When  such  women  could  not  do  any  more 
for  Christ,  they  simply  sighed  their  prayers,  as  the 
pious  Hannah,  ages  before,  had  prayed  ;  "Only  her 
lips  moved,  but  her  voice  was  not  heard."  Helena, 
mother  of  Constantine,  was  inspired  with  such  mis- 
sionary zeal  that  she  built  churches  in  neglected 
places,  and  organized  missions  from  which  the  Gos- 
pel has  never  since  been  eradicated,  notwithstand- 
ing the  persecutions  and  wars,  and  the  long  and 
bfcody  rule  of  the  Mohammedan  chiefs.  And  later 
^till,  that  Clotilda  was  the  means  of  evangelizing 
the  Prankish  Empire,  is  only  in  harmony  with  the 
place  which  woman  has  always  occupied  in  relation 
to  the  world's  conversion. 

So  far  as  our  own  beloved  Church  is  concerned, 
it  was  high  time  that  our  women  should  inau- 
gurate special  measures  to  enter  heathen  lands. 
No  faith  was  strong  enough  to  grasp  the  results  we 
see  to-day.  Many  a  wilderness  has  been  gladdened 
by  their  teaching,  their  medical  ministering,  and 
their  bringing  the  young  within  the  sunlight  of  the 
Gospel.  The  first  ten  years  of  success,  however, 
have  brought  with  them  a  great  responsibility. 
There  must  be  no  falling  off  in  sacrifice  or  popular 
response. 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

The  number  to  reply  in  person  to  the  Macedo- 
nian cry  should  be  multiplied,  and  the  means  to 
send  them  should  be  prompt  and  ready  from  every 
part  of  the  Church  at  home.  Sad,  indeed,  would  be 
the  record  of  the  future  historian  of  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  if  she  should  have  to 
write  that  the  first  decade  was  the  best.  The  past 
proves  what  can  be  done,  and  should  be  only  as 
the  grain  of  mustard-seed  to  the  future  sheltering 
tree.  How  can  these  great  results  be  reached  ? 
We  cannot  see  the  future,  but  we  can  trust  Him 
who  has  its  guidance  in  his  hand : 

"I  know  not  where  his  islands  lift 
Their  fronded  palms  in  air ; 
But  I  do  know  I  cannot  drift 
Beyond  his  love  and  care." 

I  congratulate  you  on  the  effort  you  have  made 
in  the  following  pages  to  make  history  teach  by 
some  of  its  modern  heroines  of  faith.  Beautiful  as 
these  characters  are  whom  you  have  recorded,  there 
are  still  more  brave  spirits  ready  to  say,  "  Here  am 
I ;  send  me !  "  I  sincerely  trust  that  your  book 
will  tell  its  story  of  devotion  and  personal  sacri- 
fice to  multitudes,  and  extend  far  out  beyond  their 
present  limits  the  sympathy  and  the  support  which 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  so  richly 

deserves.  ,  t^    tt 

John  F.  Hui  i>T. 

D&Ew  Theological  Seminary,  Madison,  N.  J., 
December  lo,  i88a 


CONTENTS. 


I  AS! 

Introductory  Remarks 15 

Organization  of  the  Society 37 

Isabella  Thoburn 47 

Clara  A.  Swain,  M.D 59 

First  Meeting  of  the  General  Executive  Committee..     70 

Fannie  J.  Sparkes 74 

Second  Annual  Meeting  of  the  General   Executive 

Committee 93 

Beulah  and  Sarah  H.  Woolston 94 

Mary  Q.  Porter loi 

Maria  Browne iii 

Carrie  L.  M'Millan 115 

Jennie  M.  Tinsley 120 

Action  of  the  General  Conference 124 

Lucy  H.  Hoag  and  Gertrude  Howe 128 

Lou  E.  Blackmar 132 

Lizzie  M.  Pultz 139 

Fourth   Annual  Meeting  of  the  General  Executive 

Committee 146 

Sallie  F.  Leming 148 

Nancy  Monelle,  M.D 153 

Lucinda  L.  Coombs,  M.D i6i 

Fifth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  General  Executive  Com- 
mittee   165 

Sigourney  Trask,  M.D 168 

Anna  Julia  Lore,  M.D 179 

Letitia  Mason,  M.D 189 

Susan  M.  Warner 193 

Mary  Hastings 195 

Jennie  M.  Chapin  and  Lou  B.  Denning 202 

Dora  Schoonmaker -. 209 

Sixth  Annual  Meeting 213 

Letitia  A.  Campbell 217 

Seventh  Annual  Meeting 231 

LuciLLA  H.  Green,  M.D 235 


14  CONTENTS. 

FASS 

NirjTiE  C.  Ogden 254 

Mary  F.  Gary 258 

Olive  Whiting 264 

Eighth  Annual  Meeting 268 

Leonora  S.  Howard,  M.D 271 

Ninth  Annual  Meeting 274 

Mary  F.  Sw^aney 279 

JiJLiA  A.  Sparr,  M.D 282 

Susan  B.  HiGGiNS 285 

Henrietta  B.  Woolston,  M.  D 294 

Salina  Alcesta  Easton 295 

Matilda  A.  Spencer 297 

Mary  A.  Holbrook 299 

Eugenia  Gibson 307 

Maggie  Ellison  Layton 311 

Mary  Adelaide  Priest 316 

Clara  Louisa  Mulliner 320 

Clara  M.  Gushmax 322 

Mary  A.  Sharp 323 

Tenth  Annual  Meeting 325 

A  Tribute  to  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  331 
Constitution  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Soci- 
ety OF  THE  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  336 

Branch  Limits  and  Head-quarters 342 

Receipts  of  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 344 

Payments  to  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 345 

Form  of  Bequest  and  Devise  to  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society 34ji 


Jlluslrations. 


Isabella  Thoburn a 

Clara  A.  Swain,  M.D 38 

Fannie  J.  Sparkes 75 


FIEST    DECADE 


OF  THS 


WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


INTRODUCTORY   REMARKS. 

IT  was  Bishop  Thomson  who  said,  " Satan  needed 
not  to  have  troubled  himself  about  Adam  after 
he  had  captured  Eve  ;  nor  will  India  be  retaken  from 
him  until  we  imitate  his  tactics,  and  attack  it  at  that 
side  which,  though  weakest  to  our  assault,  is  strong- 
est for  our  defense ;  for  woman  is  oppressed  and 
depressed  by  idolatry.  If  she  lost  Paradise  by  her 
desire  for  information,  may  she  not  be  induced  to 
regain  it  by  partaking  of  the  same  inviting  fruit?" 

The  "assault"  has,  at  last,  been  made  on  the 
right  side,  and  the  "  inviting  fruit,"  so  long  with- 
held from  the  millions  of  the  hungry,  starving  souls 
of  our  heathen  sisters,  is  now  proffered  to  many  of 
them — to  all  who  hear  the  joyful  sound-^and  multi- 
tudes are  eagerly  partaking.  This  fact  has  aroused 
the  godly  women  of  our  land  to  a  sense  of  their 
responsibility,  and  the  importance  of  aiding  in  sup- 
plying the  great  needs  of  the  heathen  world. 

It  is  a  principle  in  God's  economy  that  the  eleva- 
tion of  a  race  shall  come  from  the  race  itself.     May 


1 6      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

it  not  be  his  will  that  the  evangelization  of  heathen 
women  shall  be  effected  by  women  ? 

"  Woman's  quick  susceptibility,"  said  Bishop  Wi- 
ley, "  is  an  admirable  trait  in  her  character,  adapting 
her  to  this  great  work.  It  enables  her  so  readily  to 
detect  human  sorrow  and  human  need,  it  enables 
her  to  have  a  more  vivid  perception  of  the  provis- 
ions made  by  redeeming  love,  and  of  the  privileges 
flowing  from  it.  She  perceives  the  readiest  mode 
of  gaining  access  to  the  hearts  "of  those  whom  she 
would  benefit,  and  at  the  same  time  exercises  a 
power  of  persuasion,  which  frequently  prevails  where 
other  means  have  failed  ;  and,"  continues  the  Bish- 
op, "  we  often  think  that  the  hearts  of  women  must 
sometimes  really  yearn  to  hear  Christ  declared  by 
women's  lips,  to  catch  the  inspiration  in  all  its  deli- 
cacy from  a  woman's  heart." 

Add  to  this,  the  fact,  that  the  social  customs  and 
conditions  of  the  heathen  are  such  as  to  render  mill- 
ions of  them  unaccessible  to  men,  as  missionaries  or 
teachers,  and  our  duty,  as  Christian  women,  is  im- 
perative. This  has  led  to  the  organization  of  our 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  whose  decen- 
nium  we  now  commemorate. 

Our  Society,  though  young,  is  not  weak,  for  God 
is  with  us,  and  has  wonderfully  blessed  our  efforts 
in  this  direction,  for  the  promotion  of  his  cause. 
We  have  heard  of  a  marvelous  fig-tree  near  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  It  had  a  central  stem,  but 
the  traveler  told  us  he  could  not  find  it,  for  the 
limbs  falling  to  the  ground  had  taken  root,  at  every 
point  new  trunks  shot  up  erect,  these,  in  turn,  threw 


Introductory  Remarks.  17 

out  new  branches,  which,  arching,  planted  them- 
selves in  the  earth,  until  the  single  stem  had  grown 
to  be  a  forest,  while,  overhead,  the  leaves  and  fruit 
formed  a  canopy,  which  seemed  like  the  roof  of 
some  vast  cathedral,  supported  by  innumerable  col- 
umns. As  we  looked  at  this  we  thought.  Surely 
here  is  a  figure  of  our  Society.  It  seems  but  as 
yesterday  when  the  central  stem  was  planted  in  the 
city  of  Boston.  How  small — how  weak  it  appeared ! 
But  the  godly  women  of  the  Church  planted  it  with 
prayer,  they  watered  it  with  their  tears.  Heaven 
blessed  it — and  how  it  has  grown,  until  its  branches 
reach  from  ocean  to  ocean,  from  New  York  on  the 
east,  to  San  Francisco  on  the  west !  Oceans 
themselves  seem  to  be  no  barriers,  for  the  arching 
branches  have  planted  themselves  in  the  lands  be- 
yond the  seas,  and  we  have  a  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  in  India  and  one  in  China;  and 
we  expect,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  that  this  tree 
will  grow  and  flourish  until  its  arching  branches 
shall  encircle  the  globe,  and  its  leaves,  for  the  heal- 
ing of  the  nations,  spread  from  pole  to  pole. 

The  organization  of  the  Society  was  hailed  with 
delight  by  all  our  missionaries  in  the  foreign  field. 
Rev.  Mr.  Parker  and  Dr.  Butler  assisted  in  its  for- 
mation, and,  after  his  return  to  India,  Dr.  Butler 
wrote  back,  *'  I  devoutly  thank  God  for  its  organiza- 
tion." *'  The  demand  for  such  a  society,"  wrote  the 
Rev.  James  Baume,  **  was  imperative,  as  it  became 
increasingly  evident  that  the  godly  women  of  the 
Church  are  yet  to  act  a  peculiar  and  glorious  part 
in  the  conquest  of  the  world  to  Christ." 


1 8      WOMAN'S  FORElGI>f  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Rev.  S.  L.  Baldwin  wrote :  "  It  was  with  great 
pleasure  that,  from  my  distant  post  of  observation 
in  China,  I  noticed  the  formation  of  your  Society. 
It  will  bring  the  Christian  women  of  our  Church 
into  closer  sympathy  with  the  heathen  women  of 
China,  India,  and  other  lands.  All  the  watchmen 
on  Zion's  outposts  will  hail  with  joy  this  new  and 
powerful  auxiliary  in  the  world's  conversion."  "  The 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,"  wrote  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Thoburn,  "  was  not  organized  a  day  too 
soon.  There  is  a  mighty  work  to  be  done  among 
the  women  of  India,  which  only  women  can  do!' 

The  missionaries'  wives,  with  one  accord,  have 
done  their  utmost  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
Society,  by  superintending  and  aiding  in  its  work 
abroad,  and  by  the  contribution  of  valuable  letters 
to  the  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend."  Mrs.  Parker 
and  Mrs.  Butler  have  manifested  intense  interest  in 
all  its  various  branches  of  work,  and  have  been  un- 
ceasing in  their  endeavors  to  assist  it  in  its  labor 
of  love. 

At  home  there  has  been  one  general  rallying  cry, 
"The  Master  is  come,  and  calleth  for  thee!".  Rec- 
ognizing in  this  call  the  voice  of  Jesus,  multitudes 
of  elect  ladies  from  all  parts  of  the  country  have 
arisen,  and,  laying  their  wealth,  talents,  and  accom- 
plishments at  the  feet  of  Christ,  have  gone  forth  to 
labor  for  the  evangelisation  of  the  world. 

The  officers  of  the  Society — the  presidents  and 
corresponding  secretaries  of  the  various  branches — • 
are  a  noble  band  of  Christian  women,  whose  conse- 
crated lives,  pure  hearts,  and  strong  faith  in  God, 


Ijitroditctory  Remarks.  19 

together  with  their  superior  natural  endowments, 
large  culture,  and  brilliant  talents,  make  them  equal 
to  any  emergency  connected  with  their  work.  The 
reflex  influence  upon  the  home-workers  has  been 
grand  and  glorious.  A  precious  baptism  of  love 
and  labor  has  fallen  upon  the  women  of  the 
Church;  and  as  they  have  been  endeavoring  to 
bless  others,  their  own  hearts  have  been  watered 
from  on  high. 

The  clergy  of  our  Church  have  also  done  much 
to  advance  the  interests  of  the  Society  by  their 
sympathy  and  co-operation,  and  our  Bishops  have 
been  hearty  and  eloquent  in  their  words  of  in- 
dorsement. 

Auxiliary  Societies  have  been  formed,  not  only 
on  the  various  charges,  but  at  nearly  all  of  the  large 
camp-meetings,  including  Round  Lake,  Thousand 
Islands,  and  Ocean  Grove.  These  are  centers  of 
influence,  and  have  been  wisely  improved  by  the 
ladies,  who  are  ready  to  seize  upon  every  opportu- 
nity and  to  enter  every  open  door  of  usefulness. 
The  anniversary  exercises,  at  these  meetings,  have 
been  attended  by  large  and  enthusiastic  audiences, 
and  have  been  powerful  agencies  in  creating  mis- 
sionary zeal  and  diffusing  missionary  intelligence. 

At  Saratoga  and  Clifton  Springs  successful  aux- 
iliaries are  organized,  and  are  a  power  for  good,  not 
only  because  of  the  money  collected  by  them,  but 
because  of  the  influence  exerted  upon  the  multi- 
tudes who  become  infused  with  the  missionary  spirit, 
and  go  home  to  work  for  the  cause.  At  Clifton 
Springs  the  ladies'  missionary  meetings  have  been 


20     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

seasons  of  wonderful  interest.  One  of  these,  called 
by  Mrs.  Dr.  Foster  of  the  "  Sanitarium,"  will  never 
be  forgotten.  Over  seventy  delegates  were  in  at- 
tendance from  Geneva  District  alone.  The  pro- 
gramme was  a  most  attractive  one.  At  the  close  of 
the  exercises  Dr.  and  Mrs,  Foster  invited  the  ladies 
to  supper,  whigh  was  partaken  of  by  more  than  two 
hundred  persons.  Here  an  interesting  incident  oc- 
curred, the  account  of  which  we  take  from  the 
"  Northern  Christian  Advocate  ;  " 

"  After  this  delightful  repast  the  company  was 
called  to  order,  and  Bishop  Janes  was  introduced 
and  made  some  very  interesting  remarks.  He  said 
the  scene  before  him  was  *  poetic'  He  commended 
the  Society,  and  said  that  as  the  parent  Society  and 
this  were  working  together  so  harmoniously,  and  as 
the  marital  relation  was  the  most  sacred  and  de- 
lightful on  earth,  he  proposed  that  the  nuptials  of 
the  two  be  celebrated.  Dr.  Foster  then  said,  that 
as  the  Bishop  had  *  gone  courting,*  and  as  no  man, 
under  such  circumstances,  iiked  to  go  away  without 
an  answer,  he  called  for  Mrs.  Hibbard  to  reply, 
either  accepting  or  rejecting.  She  replied  that  she 
had  always  been  taught  to  be  very  honest  in  such 
matters,  and  she  was  too  old  to  change  her  habits 
in  this  particular.  She  confessed  that  she  saw  two 
insuperable  obstacles  to  the  match :  the  first  was, 
the  two  were  too  near  of  kin — the  Bishop  had  just 
called  one  \.\\q  parent  Society  ;  and,  secondly,  there 
was  too  great  a  disparity  in  their  ages,  the  one  being 
fifty  years  older  than  the  other.  She  retired  amid 
much  applause,  but  the  Bishop,  undaunted,  arose  to 


hitrodiictory  Remarks.  21 

say  that  a  courageous  man  was  not  to  be  disheart- 
ened by  one  refusal." 

The  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend  "  says :  "  This 
honniot  given  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Hibba^d,  we  venture  to 
say,  has  not  been  paralleled  in  the  history  of  our 
Society.  For  real  wit  and  thorough  truthfulness  it 
cannot  be  excelled." 

In  the  West  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progres- 
sion with  regard  to  missionary  matters  has  pervaded 
the  hearts  of  Methodist  women  to  a  remarkable  de- 
gree. The  annual  branch  meetings,  district  and 
quarterly  meetings,  held  by  the  Society,  together 
with  the  conference  and  other  anniversaries,  have 
been  seasons  of  great  interest,  and  have  been  at- 
tended by  eager  multitudes. 

Our  Methodist  ladies  have  also  organized  a  society 
called  the  **  Woman's  Missionary  Society  of  the  Pa- 
cific Coast,"  auxiliary  to  the  parent  Missionary  So- 
ciety, which  appropriates  from  $1,500  to  $1,800 
yearly  for  the  work  among  heathen  women  on  the 
Pacific  Coast.  Mrs.  Otis  Gibson,  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  this  Society,  writes  : 

"  Upon  the  Pacific  slope,  where  we  are  located, 
there  exists  a  population  of  at  least  150,000  heathen 
Chinese.  They  have  reared  their  temples,  set  up 
their  idols,  and  they  fall  down  and  worship  the  gods 
that  their  own  hands  have  made  in  full  view  of  our 
Christian  Churches.  The  Churches  saw  their  op- 
portunity, and  commenced  schools  among  these 
people,  and  sent  missionaries  to  tell  them  the  story 
of  Jesus  and  his  love. 

•'  But  among  these  heathen  were  some  two  or  three 


22      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN"  MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

thousand  women  and  children  who  did  not  come  to 
the  schools,  and  did  not  attend  preaching  in  the 
chapels.  The  Chinese  women  in  this  country  are, 
most  of  them,  bought  and  sold  for  vile  purposes, 
rriie  little  girls  are  bought  as  servants,  and  when 
grown  they  are  sold  into  a  life  of  shame,  without  so 
much  as  asking  their  consent. 

"  There  seemed  no  way  of  access  to  these  poor 
women.  It  touched  our  hearts  to  know  that  these 
poor  creatures  lived,  suffered,  and  died  within 
sound  of  our  church  bells,  and  yet  never  heard  that 
they  were  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of  Christ. 
Accordingly,  the  ladies  of  San  Francisco  organized 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to  these  Chi- 
nese women.  Much  good  has  already  been  accom- 
plished, and  many  have  been  won  to  the  Saviour. 

"  Thus  the  work  has  been  spreading,  and  the  end 
is  not  yet,  for  our  God  is  marching  on  ;  and  wc  be- 
lieve that  the  women  of  our  Church,  having  enlisted 
under  the  banner  of  the  cross,  and  enrolled  their 
names  among  God's  embattled  hosts,  will  never  re- 
treat until  the  Gospel  is  preached  to  every  creature, 
and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  have  become  the 
kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ." 

PRELIMINARY  ORGANIZATIONS. 

The  institutions  that  are  most  efficient  in  the 
amelioration  of  the  woes  of  mankind  have  not  been 
known  from  the  beginning  in  their  present  form, 
but  are  developments  of  ideas  that  have  long  existed 
without  any  crystallization.  This  is  true  of  the  va- 
rious Missionary  Societies  that  are  now  so  success- 


Introductory  Remarks.  23 

ful  in  the  spread  of  truth  and  the  elevation  of  the 
race.  The  missionary  idea  has  ahvays  existed  in 
the  Church  of  Christ,  but  only  within  a  short  time 
has  the  thought  crystallized  into  its  present  shape. 
Woman's  Missionary  Societies  are  outgrowths  of 
this  idea — a  later  phase  of  the  same  work. 

The  great  Author  of  human  redemption  made  no 
mistake  in  his  plan  for  the  salvation  of  the  world 
when  he  first  revealed  his  resurrection  glory  to 
woman,  and  sent  Mary  forth  to  proclaim  to  the  dis- 
ciples and  Peter  the  first  message  of  salvation 
through  her  risen  Lord.  From  that  glad  hour  until 
the  present  time  the  missionary  spirit  has  always 
possessed  the  hearts  of  women,  and  they  have  been 
among  the  first  to  tell  the  story  of  the  cross  and  the 
sepulcher.  The  present  form  of  labor  in  our  Wom- 
an's Foreign  Missionary  Society  is  but  the  crystal- 
lization, for  practical  efficiency,  of  the  Christian  im- 
pulse that  largely  controls  the  hearts  of  devout  and 
earnest  women. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  development 
of  this  thought  from  the  earliest  times,  but  we  must 
confine  our  investigations  to  the  limits  of  our  own 
denomination.  From  our  earliest  history  we  have 
been  a  missionary  Church,  but  our  parent  Missionary 
Society  was  not  organized  until  18 19.  So,  from  the 
beginning,  the  women  of  our  Church  have  had  the 
missionary  spirit,  but  this  spirit  did  not  culminate  in 
the  organization  of  a  permanent  Society,  embracing 
the  whole  extent  of  our  Church,  until  1869.  Before 
this,  however,  there  were  indications  of  missionary 
life  struggling  for  manifestation  and  organization. 


24     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

FEMALE   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

July  5,  1 8 19,  about  three  months  after  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  a  number  of  ladies  met  at  the 
Wesleyan  Seminary,  in  Forsyth-street,  New  York 
city,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  an  auxiliary  society. 
Rev.  Nathan  Bangs  presided,  opening  the  meeting 
with  prayer,  and  stating  its  object.  At  a  subsequent 
meeting  a  constitution  was  adopted,  and  officers 
elected,  consisting  of  a  first  and  second  directress,  a 
treasurer,  a  secretary,  and  twenty-five  managers. 
A  large  number  of  elect  ladies,  possessing,  many 
of  them,  pecuniary  and  intellectual  ability,  united 
with  this  Society. 

For  more  than  forty  years  this  Society  continued 
its  successful  work,  cheering  the  heart  of  many  a 
missionary  by  its  sympathy  and  aid.  It  labored 
among  the  unchristianized  of  our  own  country — the 
Indian  tribes — and  for  the  mission  in  Africa.  Ann 
Wilkins,  of  precious  memory,  was  among  its  noble 
representatives.  The  funds  of  the  Female  Mission- 
ary Society  were  paid  over  to  the  parent  Board, 
but  generally  for  a  specified  object,  which,  by  mu- 
tual agreement,  had  been  settled  on  beforehand. 
From  a  report  made  in  1861  we  learn  that  this  Soci- 
ety had,  up  to  that  time,  raised  and  paid  to  the  pa- 
rent Society  over  $20,000.  Besides  this,  it  made 
contributions  in  clothing,  bedding,  books,  etc.,  for 
the  mission  schools.  Soon  after  that  report  the 
Society  closed  its  operations. 


Introductory  Remarks.  2$ 

WEEDSPORT  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

One  of  the  earliest  accounts  of  woman's  work  for 
missions  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  which 
we  have  ever  heard,  we  gathered  in  part  from  the 
lips  of  an  aged  and  saintly  woman,  who  has  from 
her  earliest  youth  been  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church — Mrs.  Susan  B.  Fox, 
of  Weedsport,  New  York.  This  dates  back  to  the 
founding  of  the  Liberia  Mission,  in  1832. 

The  appointment  of  the  consecrated  hero,  Mel- 
ville B.  Cox,  as  our  first  missionary  to  Africa,  awoke 
the  spirit  of  missionary  enterprise  in  the  hearts  of  a 
few  godly  women  of  Weedsport,  who  banded  them- 
selves together  for  the  purpose  of  devising  means 
to  aid  him  in  his  work  of  bearing  the  Gospel  to  the 
heathen.  While  unitedly  praying  for  guidance  in 
the  matter,  their  hearts  were  strangely  warmed — a 
baptism  of  love  and  power  fell  upon  them — and, 
taking  this  as  an  evidence  of  divine  approval, 
they  set  out  with  much  enthusiasm  to  collect 
what  they  could  for  the  enterprise.  Mrs.  Fox 
was  the  pioneer  worker,  and  the  inspiration  of  the 
others. 

Without  formal  organization  as  yet,  they  began 
their  efforts  by  personal  self-denial  and  small  sav- 
ings. They  went  from  house  to  house,  begging 
missionary  money.  They  met  with  great  opposition 
and  prejudice  from  the  members  of  the  Church. 
The  objections  now  occasionally  heard  of  "  heathen 
at  home,"  "  poverty,"  etc.,  were  then  fresh  and  rife. 
Though  often  persecuted  and  rejected,  they  perse- 


26      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

vered.  When  money  was  refused  they  took  what- 
soever was  offered  them,  provided  it  could  be 
turned  into  money.  They  sacrificed  their  own  ease, 
pleasure,  and  luxury.  Those  engaged  in  sewing 
sewed  a  little  longer,  and  those  at  the  spinning- 
wheel  spun  a  little  more,  that  they  might  have 
something  to  give  to  the  cause.  Whenever  they 
met  for  deliberation  and  prayer  the  same  divine 
power  overshadowed  them. 

The  first  contribution  from  any  brother  of  the 
Church  was  the  sum  of  twenty-five  cents.  "  This," 
says  one,  "  was  regarded  as  remarkable,  and  as  a 
providential  encouragement ;  and  they  rejoiced  as 
though  they  had  found  great  spoil."  Like  the  early 
Christians,  these  women  met  in  an  upper  room,  in 
a  sort  of  private  way,  where  they  labored,  working 
with  their  hands,  like  Dorcas,  making  coats  and 
garments  for  the  poor  and  destitute  in  the  mission 
fields.  Many  a  box  of  clothing  and  other  necessary 
articles  was  sent  out  from  time  to  time  in  the  prog- 
ress of  their  work. 

The  first  annual  donation  in  cash  was  $7  sent  to 
New  York,  to  the  treasurer  of  the  parent  board.  A 
letter  from  Mrs.  Fox,  in  her  trembling  hand,  lies 
before  us,  in  which  we  are  assured  that  though  her 
right  hand  is  forgetting  its  cunning,  her  heart  is 
still  beating  in  sympathy  with  the  missionary  cause. 
Referring  to  the  first  offering,  she  says  : 

"  We  gave  the  money  to  the  treasurer,  baptizing 
it  with  our  tears,  and  wishing  it  a  hundred  fold  more. 
The  next  year  we  did  better.  Prejudice  met  us  at 
every  point,  but  by  diligence  and  perseverance  and 


Introductory  Remarks.  2y 

the  blessing  of  God,  we  prospered,  our  contribu- 
tions increased,  and  prejudice  gave  way." 

These  ladies  sent  their  first  "  Missionary  Box"  to 
Liberia.  The  capture  of  the  slaver  "  Pons,"  with 
its  living,  dying  cargo  of  nine  hundred  slaves,  one 
hundred  of  the  survivors  of  whom  fell  to  the  care 
of  the  Liberia  Mission,  was  the  occasion  for  a  call  to 
the  Churches  to  furnish  suitable  clothing  for  these 
captives.  This  first  mission  box  was  a  response  to 
that  call. 

It  is  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  now  to  know 
that  some  of  the  leading  men  of  the  Liberia  gov- 
ernment and  nation  at  the  present  time  were  among 
the  captives  whom  these  ladies  helped  to  clothe. 
Their  contributions,  in  this  form,  were  sent  to 
Africa,  Oregon,  and  South  America. 

The  first  formal  organization  of  this  Society  was 
effected  in  1840.  Mrs.  S.  B.  Fox  was  chosen  Presi- 
dent, which  position  she  held  until  1863,  when,  un- 
der advice  from  Dr.  Durbin,  the  organization  was 
blended  with  the  parent  Society.  In  1869  they 
again  organized,  as  auxiliary  to  the  Woman's  For- 
eign Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

The  self-sacrificing  and  heroic  Sophronia  Farring- 
ton,  the  first  unmarried  woman  sent  by  our  Church 
to  Liberia,  had  the  same  missionary  fire  burning  in 
her  heart  before  our  mission  was  established  in 
Africa.     In  regard  to  this  she  says : 

"  Ere  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  started  a 
foreign  mission  in  Africa  there  seemed  to  be  such 
a  state  of  things  as  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  de- 


28       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

scribed  when  he  had  been  to  and  fro  in  the  earth, 
and  returned  exclaiming,  'The  whole  earth  sitteth 
still.'  This  state  of  things  was  so  painful  to  me  that 
I  felt  compelled  to  give  myself  to  the  Lord  for  work 
abroad,  at  the  same  time  praying  that  he  would 
open  a  foreign  mission  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  with  a  faith  which  amounted  to  an  assurance 
that  he  would  do  it.  With  this  faith  I  started  for 
Boston  to  visit  my  friends  early  in  1832,  where  I 
waited  till  the  way  opened. 

"  Soon  after  Brother  Cox's  appointment  he  came 
to  Boston,  and  made  arrangements,  then  went  on 
to  Africa,  where  he  bought  a  mission-house,  and 
made  ready  for  us,  and  wrote  for  us  to  come  on. 
But  the  evening  before  we  started  we  received  the 
intelligence  of  his  death.  Yet  this  did  not  shake 
my  faith.  I  felt,  as  he  said,  '  Let  a  thousand  fall 
before  Africa  be  given  up.*  We  arrived  safely  in 
Monrovia,  January  i,  1834,  but  ere  four  weeks  had 
elapsed  our  dear  Sister  Wright  was  no  more ;  we 
had  expected  much  help  from  her,  as  she  was  well 
qualified  to  do  good. 

"  Soon  a  young  Episcopalian,  who  arrived  in  an- 
other ship  about  the  time  we  did,  took  the  fever  and 
died,  and  eight  missionaries  in  all  died  within  four 
months.  Our  superintendent  now  resolved  to  re- 
turn to  America  with  his  wife  and  a  colored  min- 
ister, and  wished  me  to  return  with  them,  as  he 
thought  he  must  give  up  the  mission.  The  doctor 
said  we  could  never  endure  the  climate ;  but  I  felt 
an  assurance  that  God  was  for  the  mission,  and  said 
I  could  never  see  it  given  up.     They  all  left,  and 


Introductory  Remarks.  29 

I  remained  alone  to  trust  in  God;  but  he  sustained 
me  until  a  new  recruit  came,  and  established  the 
mission. 

"  I  taught  a  native  school  until  my  health  failed 
so  that  I  could  not  teach,  and  God  seemed  to  say, 
*  Stay  thy  hand,  and  give  way  to  the  stronger  ones 
who  have  arrived.'  I  now  saw  clearly  that  my  work 
was  to  fill  the  vacancy  and  keep  up  the  mission 
until  the  Southern  help  arrived,  as  those  who  could 
endure  the  climate.  I  then  returned  with  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Seys,  who  was  coming  to  America  for.  his 
family." 

Soon  after  the  death  of  the  eight  of  whom  she 
speaks.  Miss  Farrington  was  seized  with  fever  in  a 
most  malignant  form,  but,  contrary  to  the  expecta- 
tion of  her  physician,  she  recovered.  She  was  ur- 
gently persuaded  to  return  to  America,  as  to  remain 
longer  seemed  certain  death ;  but  she  would  not  re- 
linquish her  post.  Her  reasons  are  told  by  herself 
in  another  letter.     She  says : 

"  I  was  now  seized  with  the  fever  again,  which 
ran  so  high  that,  about  the  fourth  day,  I  was  given 
up  to  die.  The  pain  extended  all  over  my  system, 
and  was  increasing.  The  doctor  said  mortification 
was  taking  place.  After  he  had  gone  I  prayed  that 
the  silver  cord  might  be  loosed  and  the  golden  bowl 
broken,  if  it  were  the  will  of  the  Lord.  I  was  alone, 
except  a  little  native  girl,  who  was  asleep  in  the 
room.  The  thought  immediately  came  to  me.  Is 
there  not  some  one  to  sympathize  with  me  ?  At 
once  Jesus  seemed  to  stand  by  my  side,  with  all  his 
native  sympathy,  and  showed  me  that  it  was  not  his 


30       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

will  that  I  should  die  at  this  time,  placing  the  mis- 
sion before  me  as  a  reason  why  I  should  remain.  I 
said,  '  Then,  Lord,  remove  the  disease.'  In  a  mo- 
ment, sudden  as  a  flash  of  lightning,  the  fever  and 
pain  all  left  me,  and  I  was  well. 

'  If  half  the  strings  of  life  should  break, 
God  can  our  flesh  restore.' 

The  doctor  said  mine  was  the  greatest  cure  he  had 
ever  wrought,  to  which  I  made  him  no  reply.  Mr. 
Spaulding  now  determined  to  return  to  America, 
and  take  me  with  him,  and  give  up  the  mission. 
But  I  said,  'No;  I  can  never  see  this  mission  aban- 
doned. I  can  die  here,  but  I  will  never  return  until 
the  mission  is  established.'  But  he  said,  'The 
Board  will  probably  cut  you  off  if  you  do  not  go.' 
I  said,  '  I  will  stay,  and  trust  the  Lord.'" 

She  did  stay,  and  was  the  only  white  person  on 
the  coast  to  welcome  John  Seys,  when  he  arrived 
to  superintend  the  mission. 

This  saintly  woman  survived  (the  wife  of  Mr. 
George  Cone,  of  Utica,  New  York)  until  after  the 
close  of  our  first  decade,  when  she  passed  into  the 
heavens. 

Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Wesleyan  Female  College,  Wilmington, 
Delaware. 

In  the  year  1846  one  of  the  graduates  of  this  in- 
stitution (now  Dr.  Mary  Dixon  Jones,  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.)  delivered  an  eloquent  missionary  address 
before  the  Alumnae  Association,  which  caused  it  to 


Introductory  Remarks.  3 1 

reorganize  and  form  itself  into  a  "  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society." 

This  Society,  though  small,  has  exerted  a  wide- 
spread influence,  and  has  contributed  much  to  the 
cause  of  missions.  The  Misses  Woolston,  who  have 
given  twenty  years'  service  in  China,  were  graduates 
of  this  institution,  and  later  Misses  Easton  and  Lay- 
ton,  both  teachers  of  this  college,  went  to  India, 
under  the  auspices  of  our  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

Dr.  Jones  writes  :  "This  little  Society  was  organ- 
ized in  1846,  by  the  lady  graduates  of  the  Wesleyan 
Female  College,  all  of  them  in  their  girlhood,  blush- 
ing with  the  honors  of  the  institution,  and  feeling 
the  inspiration  and  enthusiasm  of  doing  a  great 
work.  If  the  deliberations  of  that  Society  could  be 
known,  if  their  speeches  could  be  told — little  girls 
of  fifteen  and  sixteen,  who  had  scarce  raised  their 
heads  from  logic  and  conic  sections,  making  mis- 
sionary addresses! 

**  I  notice  among  the  officers  of  the  Society  at  that 
time  the  names  of  Miss  Augusta  Durbin,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Dr.  Durbin,  the  great  Missionary  Secretary  ; 
Miss  Maria  Kennaday,  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  John 
Kennaday;  Miss  Mary  Tippett,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Charles  Tippett ;  and  Miss  Rebecca  Bruner,  now 
the  honored  wife  of  Rev.  Dr.  Dobbins.  The  Wes- 
leyan Female  College,  of  Wilmington,  Delaware, 
was  then  probably  the  first  and  best  school  of  learn- 
ing in  the  country  for  young  ladies,  and  has  among 
its  alumni  some  of  the  most  finely  educated  ladies 
in  the  country.     Contributions  and  collections  were 


32      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

made  regularly.  I  still  cherish  among  my  memen- 
toes a  Missionary  Certificate,  made  at  that  early 
day,  and  presented  me  by  the  Society. 

"  This  little  Society  did  good,  and  sent  a  wave  of 
influence  in  motion  that  will  roll  ceaselessly  on  to 
eternity." 

LADIES'   CHINA   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

This  Society  was  organized  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more, April,  1848,  its  object  being  to  aid  in  the 
formation  and  support  of  a  Methodist  mission  in 
China.  The  subject  of  establishing  such  a  mission 
in  China  was  frequently  brought  before  the  Church, 
and  was  freely  and  fully  discussed.  In  1846  several 
individuals  pledged  annual  subscriptions  toward  its 
support.  During  the  same  year  the  Rev.  Judson 
D.  Collins  wrote  to  the  Missionary  Board  his  con- 
victions and  drawings  toward  this  land.  The  Board 
replied  that  they  had  not  sufficient  money  to  es- 
tablish a  new  mission.  But  this  heroic  man,  moved 
by  the  same  divine  impulse  as  that  which  actuated 
Paul,  when,  "after  he  had  seen  the  vision,  immedi- 
ately he  endeavored  to  go  into  Macedonia,  assuredly 
gathering  that  the  Lord  had  called"  him  "to  preach 
the  Gospel  unto  them,"  wrote  to  Bishop  Janes, 
"  Engage  me  a  passage  before  the  mast ;  my  own 
strong  arm  shall  pull  me  to  China,  and  support  me 
when  there."  This  appeal  could  not  be  resisted, 
and  in  1847  the  Bishop  appointed  J.  D.  Collins, 
with  Rev.  M.  C.  White  and  wife,  to  Foochow, 
China. 

The  Ladies'  China  Missionary  Society  was  formed 


Introductory  Remarks.  33 

for  the  purpose  of  aiding  in  the  support  of  this  new 
mission.  The  circumstances  leading  to  its  organi- 
zation were  these.  In  March,  1848,  Dr.  Stephen 
OHn  preached  a  missionary  sermon  before  the  Bal- 
timore Conference,  which  was  remarkable  for  its 
pathos  and  power.  The  next  day  a  lady  met  him 
at  the  house  of  a  friend,  and  they  entered  into  con- 
versation with  regard  to  missionary  work  in  its  va- 
rious fields.  This  lady  (Mrs.  Anna  L.  Davidson) 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the  Foreign 
Evangelical  Society  in  Catholic  countries.  Dr.  Olin 
asked  her  reason  for  working  outside  her  own  de- 
nomination. She  replied,  "  Because  there  is  no 
avenue  for  woman's  work  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church."  Said  the  doctor,  *'  Create  one." 
"  How  ?  "  she  inquired.  "  Organize  an  association 
for  missionary  work  in  China — that  is  just  now 
open.  Begin  your  work,  form  your  Society,  and  I 
will  speak  at  your  first  anniversary."  She  went 
home,  considered  the  matter,  prayed  over  it,  and 
regarding  the  suggestion  made  by  Dr.  Olin  as 
prompted  by  the  divine  Spirit,  she  immediately  set 
about  the  work. 

The  organization  was  soon  effected,  and  the  first 
anniversary  held  January  1849,  i"  ^he  old  historic 
Light-street  Church,  near  whose  site,  in  1784,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  America  first  re- 
ceived organic  form.  Bishop  Janes  presided,  and 
Dr.  Olin,  true  to  his  word,  made  an  "  able  and  ef- 
fective speech."  For  ten  years  this  Society  collected 
and  paid  annually  to  the  parent  board  about  $300. 
An  earlier  writer  says :  "  This  feeble  band  of  women 


34      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

— feeble  in  one  sense,  but  strong  in  faith  and  deter- 
mination— struggled  on  through  opposition  and  dif- 
ficulties. An  independent  organization  was  consid- 
ered an  infringement,  not  only  on  Church  usage,  but 
the  absolute  rights  of  the  Missionary  Board  ;  con- 
sequently official  brethren,  ministers,  with  a  few 
honorable  exceptions,  gave  it  the  cold  shoulder. 
Nothing  daunted,  our  little  band  quietly  and  stead- 
ily pursued  their  way,  gathering  and  dropping  small 
sums,  as  the  widow's  mite,  into  the  treasury  of  the 
Lord." 

In  1858  Dr.  Wentworth,  then  missionary  to  China, 
made  an  earnest  appeal  to  the  ladies  to  raise  funds 
for  the  purpose  of  establishing  and  supporting  a  fe- 
male school  in  Foochow,  He  wrote:  "It  is  a 
favorite  scheme  of  mine,  but  I  have  already  lost 
heart  and  hope  on  the  subject.  Teaching  is  a  great 
aid  to  the  diffusion  of  Christianity  in  all  lands  ;  wit- 
ness the  Sabbath-schools  and  Christian  schools  at 
home,  and  the  anxiety  of  all  Churches  to  obtain 
academic  education,  particularly  the  strenuous  ef- 
forts of  the  Romanists,  the  greatest  tacticians  in  the 
world  on  this  particular  line.  We  are  surrounded 
by  females  degraded  by  custom,  by  ignorance,  and 
vice.  Such  as  escape  drowning  in  infancy  are  im- 
mediately contracted  in  marriage,  systematically 
crippled,  and  condemned  to  life-long  seclusion. 
Our  churches  are  full  of  men  ;  our  preaching  is  to 
men  ;  only  now  and  then  a  woman  dares  venture 
within  sound  of  the  Gospel,  and  these  are  the  large- 
footed  women ;  small-footed,  or  ladies  of  China, 
never.     Their  lords  despise  them  as  a  class,  and  are 


Introductory  Remarks.  35 

ashamed  to  be  seen  abroad  with  them.  Nothing  in 
Asia  or  the  East  calls  more  loudly  for  reformation 
than  the  condition  of  women.  In  no  department  is 
missionary  labor  more  needed  than  in  this,  and 
woman  only  can  be  reached  by  woman.  Asiatics 
jealously  exclude  women  from  intercourse  with  men. 
Instead  of  here  and  there  a  teacher  and  a  languish- 
ing school,  China  needs  an  army  of  Christian  fe- 
males, ready,  if  need  be,  to  lay  down  their  lives  for 
their  own  sex  and  the  Gospel.  Your  city  is  fond  of 
building  monuments,  and  certainly  none  could  be 
more  appropriate  than  one  erected  on  this  soil  in 
the  shape  of  an  efficiently  working  female  academy." 
The  amount  desired  was  $5,000.  This  appeal  came 
through  the  parent  board,  with  its  indorsement. 
Dr.  Durbin,  who  at  the  time  was  Missionary  Sec- 
retary, sent  a  communication  with  the  following 
resolution  : 

"  Resolved,  That  if  the  ladies  feel  heartily  disposed 
to  undertake  this  work,  and  have  good  hope  they 
can  accomplish  it  in  a  given  time,  the  Board  will 
accept  their  services  in  this  respect,  and  execute 
their  will." 

The  ladies  did  feel  "  heartily  disposed,''  and  un- 
dertook the  work  joyfully.  It  proved  an  inspi- 
ration to  them,  and  to-day  the  Baltimore  Female 
Seminary  stands  as  a  monument  to  their  faith  and 
zeal. 

"  In  1858  Miss  Potter  and  the  Misses  S.  and  B. 

Woolston  sailed  with  the  present  superintendent  of 

the  mission  and  wife,  Rev.  S.  L.  Baldwin.     Miss 

Potter    became    Mrs.    Wentworth."      The    Misses 

3 


36      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Woi^lston  remained  in  the  school,  faithful,  success- 
ful workers,  until  recently,  when  they  returned  home 
for  rest  and  change. 

This  Society  continued  its  successful  operations 
until  1871,  when  it  united  its  name,  interests,  funds, 
and  influence  to  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


Organization  of  the  Society.  37 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOCIETY. 

TO  Mrs.  Rev.  E.  W.  Parker  belongs  the  distin- 
guished honor  of  being  the  originator  of  this 
Society,  the  first  person  who  made  earnest  and  suc- 
cessful effort  for  its  organization.  In  March,  1869, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  returned  from  India  to  their 
home  in  New  England.  Their  hearts  were  burning 
with  missionary  zeal.  They  were  fresh  from  the 
field,  where  for  years  they  had  toiled  unceasingly 
for  the  evangelization  of  the  people  of  that  land. 
As  Mrs.  Parker  looked  abroad  over  the  millions  of 
India's  daughters  uncheered  by  the  light  of  life, 
oppressed  by  superstition  and  ignorance,  her  heart 
was  burdened  by  the  weight  of  responsibility  which 
she  felt  to  be  resting  upon  her.  The  superior  light 
enjoyed  by  the  women  of  our  own  favored  land  only 
made,  by  contrast,  the  darkness  of  heathenism  more 
dense.  She  felt  that  something  more  must  be  done 
to  reach  the  ivomcn  of  India.  As  they  could  only 
be  reached  by  women,  more  women  must  be  sent. 
She  said  the  missionaries'  wives  were  doing  all  they 
could  ;  they  had  already  accomplished  a  grand  and 
glorious  work.  They  needed  help,  and  she  strongly 
advocated  sending  single  women,  who  would  be 
free  from  domestic  cares,  and  who  would  be  able  to 
devote  all  their  time  to  the  one  work  of  saving  souls. 
She  commenced  her  earnest  appeals  to  the  ladies 


38      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

East  and  West  to  unite  their  efforts  in  forming  a 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  in  our  own 
Church,  for  the  purpose  of  sending  out  these  sin- 
gle missionaries. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  some  interest  had  been 
awakened  in  the  hearts  of  many  of  our  Methodist 
women  by  the  success  achieved  by  woman's  mission- 
ary societies  in  other  denominations.  This  helped 
to  confirm  their  growing  conviction  of  the  necessity 
and  feasibility  of  the  thing,  and  gave  promise  of 
what  could  be  done  by  the  women  of  our  Church ; 
but  up  to  this  time  no  movement  had  been  made 
toward  any  definite  organization. 

Mrs.  Dr.  Butler,  the  devoted  and  gifted  wife  of 
the  founder  of  our  India  Mission,  then  a  resident 
of  Boston,  joined  heartily  with  Mrs.  Parker  in  her 
efforts  to  arouse  the  women  of  the  Church  to  a  sense 
of  their  obligation  to  the  heathen  and  their  duty  to 
God,  who  "  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of 
men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  and 
hath  determined  the  times  before  appointed,  and 
the  bounds  of  their  habitation;"  and  who,  after  fin- 
ishing the  work  of  redemption  on  Calvary,  com- 
manded his  disciples  to  "  go  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  Her  appeals 
were  soul-stirring,  and  such  as  could  only  be  made 
by  one  who  had  seen  with  her  own  eyes  the  wants 
and  woes  of  her  heathen  sisters.  The  interest  be- 
gan to  spread.  In  different  parts  of  the  country  the 
subject  was  discussed,  and  preparations  mr^e  for 
following  up  the  movement. 

Mrs.  Parker  stated  that  the  ladies  of  the  West 


Organisation  of  the  Society.  39 

said,  in  response  to  her  appeals,  "  If  the  ladies  of  the 
East  will  start,  we  will  follow."  Mrs.  Lewis  Flan- 
ders resolved  to  commence,  and  Mrs.  Thomas  A. 
Rich  enthusiastically  joined  in  the  good  work.  Mrs. 
Flanders  first  spoke  to  the  ladies  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  organizing  a  society  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  at  a  Sewing  Circle  of  Tremont-street 
Church.  She  had  a  constitution  of  "The  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions,"  and  as  each  lady  arrived,  she 
went  and  talked  with  her  upon  the  feasibility  of 
such  a  society  in  our  own  Church.  The  next  thing 
she  did  was  to  call  a  parlor  meeting,  but  the  notices 
failing  to  reach  the  pulpit,  only  four  persons  came. 
Another  meeting  was  called  ;  notices  were  sent  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  in  Boston  and 
vicinity,  inviting  all  ladies  interested  to  meet  at 
Tremont-street  Church,  on  Monday,  March  22,  at 
3  P.M.,  "to  consider  the  propriety  of  organizing  a 
Ladies'  Foreign  Missionary  Society." 

The  day  came,  and  with  it  one  of  the  most  severe 
and  forbidding  storms  of  the  season.  Mrs.  Parker 
was  twenty-five  miles  from  the  place  appointed  for 
the  meeting.  Friends  tried  to  dissuade  her  from 
making  the  unpleasant  journey,  telling  her  it  would 
be  in  vain,  no  one  would  be  there ;  but  she,  with  a 
faith  that 

Laughed  at  impossibilities, 
And  cried,  //  shall  be  done, 

said,  "  I  must  go  to  Boston,"  Mrs.  Parker  went, 
and  found  Mrs.  Dr.  Butler  and  a  small  company  of 
ladies  waiting.  They  addressed  the  meeting,  hav- 
ing but  nine  auditors,  namely:  Mrs.  Lewis  Flanders, 


40      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Mrs.  Thomas  A.  Rich,  Mrs.  Albert  Ellis,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Kingsbury,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Merrill,  Mrs.  O.  T. 
Taylor,  Mrs.  L.  H.  Daggett,  Methodists,  and  two 
strangers,  belonging  to  a  sister  Church,  whose  names 
are  not  known.  A  Constitution  was  drawn  up  and 
presented,  article  by  article,  for  consideration,  amend- 
ment if  necessary,  and  approval ;  after  which  a  board 
of  officers  was  appointed. 

Mrs.  Bishop  Baker,  Concord,  N.  H.,  was  elected 
President ;  Mrs.  B.  J.  Pope,  Boston,  Recording  Sec- 
retary; Mrs.  T.  A.  Rich,  Boston,  Treasurer;  and 
Mrs.  Ruby  Warfield  Thayer,  Newtonville,  Mass., 
Corresponding  Secretary.  The  meeting  then  ad- 
journed to  meet  the  following  Monday. 

At  the  next  meeting,  though  the  rain  was  again 
falling,  more  than  thirty  ladies  were  present.  Their 
hearts  were  now  thoroughly  enlisted  in  the  cause, 
much  enthusiasm  prevailed,  twenty  members  were 
added  to  the  Society,  and  six  ladies  became  life 
members.  A  letter  was  received  from  Mrs.  Thayer, 
assuring  them  of  her  sympathy  and  co-operation, 
but  stating  that  on  account  of  failing  health  she 
would  not  be  able  to  serve  them  as  secretary.  The 
spirit  was  willing,  but  the  flesh  was  weak.  In  a  few 
months  after  she  was  called  to  her  heavenly  home. 

The  following  ladies  were  then  appointed  to  con- 
duct the  correspondence  of  the  Society:  Mrs.  Rev. 
Dr.  Warren,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.;  Mrs.  Jennie  F. 
Willing,  of  Rockford,  111.;  and  Mrs.  Rev.  E.  W. 
Parker. 

Ladies  were  appointed  from  seventeen  States  to 
carry  on  this  work  by  organizing  auxiliary  societies 


Organization  of  the  Society.  41 

throughout  the  entire  Church.  Cheering  responses 
came  from  all  directions.  Mrs.  Parker  gave  direc- 
tion to  the  work  in  New  England,  and  Mrs.  Jennie 
F.  Willing  created  much  enthusiasm  throughout  the 
West  by  her  tireless  and  self-sacrificing  efforts  and 
eloquent  appeals.  Auxiliary  societies  began  to  mul- 
tiply rapidly.  In  Brooklyn,  New  York,  a  Society 
was  formed,  having  a  most  efficient  president,  in  the 
person  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Harris,  wife  of  one  6^  our  Mis- 
sionar)^  Secretaries,  now  Bishop. 

On  May  7  the  Secretaries  of  the  parent  Board, 
Rev.  Drs.  Durbin  and  Harris,  met  the  representa- 
tives of  our  Society  in  Bromfield-street  Church, 
Boston,  for  the  purpose  of  coming  to  a  more  definite 
understanding  with  regard  to  its  object  and  aim. 
After  thoroughly  discussing  the  whole  subject  they 
gave  the  ladies  their  official  approval,  and  "assumed 
the  responsibility  of  publishing  to  the  Church  a 
statement  of  its  objects  and  methods  of  work." 

We  quote  the  following  from  a  report  of  the 
meeting : 

"The  whole  subject  was  fully  discussed,  and  the 
following  conclusions  reached : 

"  I.  That  such  a  Society  is  very  much  needed  to 
unite  the  ladies  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  increased  efforts  to  meet  the  demand  for  labor 
among  women  in  heathen  lands. 

"  2.  That  this  Society,  though  not  auxiliary  to 
the  general  Missionary  Society,  should  work  in  har- 
mony with  it,  seeking  its  counsel  and  approval  in 
all  its  work. 

"  3.  That  a  missionary  paper  might  be  published 


42       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.      - 

by  the  ladies  of  the  Society,  with  great  profit  to  the 
entire  missionary  cause." 

The  Society,  having  received  the  recognition  of 
the  Secretaries  of  the  parent  Board,  was  thus  author- 
ized to  proceed,  and,  with  this  encouragement,  went 
forward  in  the  prosecution  of  its  work  with  renewed 
energy  and  zeal.  All  that  the  new  Society  now 
needed  to  make  it  an  integral  part  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  was  the  formal  recognition  and 
authi^rization  of  tjie  General  Conference.  It  was 
understood  that  the  Society,  though  independ- 
ent of  the  parent  Board,  was  to  act  harmoniously 
with  it.  Not  as  a  rival  at  home  or  in  the  foreign 
field,  but  as  a  division  of  the  same  army,  actuated 
by  one  spirit,  controlled  by  the  same  general  head, 
it  should  endeavor  to  aid  in  securing  the  conquest 
of  the  world  for  Jesus. 

This  Conference  was  a  most  satisfactory  one.  At 
its  conclusion  the  Society  made  its  first  payment  to 
Dr.  Harris,  for  the  support  of  a  Bible  woman  in 
Moradabad,  India.  The  circumstances  connected 
with  it  were  peculiarly  touching  and  significant.  It 
was  the  offering  of  a  lady  whose  daughter  said, 
shortly  before,  when  dying,  "  If  I  do  not  get  well,  I 
would  like  to  have  papa  give  as  much  money  to  the 
missionaries  every  year  as  it  takes  to  take  care  of 
me."  There  was  such  a  sacredness  about  the  offer- 
ing as  led  the  ladies  to  regard  it  as  a  smile  of  ap- 
proval from  the  Lord  of  the  harvest.  Multitudes 
have  since  followed  her  example,  and  have  cast  into 
the  treasury  of  the  Lord  their  sanctified  offerings, 
the  price  of  tears  and  sacrifices,  and  in  the  name  of 


Organisation  of  the  Society.  43 

departed   loved   ones    are   supporting   orphans  and 
Bible-readers  in  foreign  lands. 

"HEATHEN  WOMAN'S  FRIEND." 

Previous  to  this  meeting,  on  May  7,  the  ladies  had 
cherished  a  plan  of  publishing  a  missionary  paper, 
which  should  be  the  organ  of  the  Society.  They 
considered  it  important  for  the  permanency  and 
success  of  the  enterprise  that  free  communication 
should  be  opened  between  the  home  workers  and 
the  foreign  field,  thus  bringing  the  heathen  to  plead 
their  own  cause  at  our  very  doors.  But  there  were 
difficulties  in  the  way.  The  Society  was  young  and 
weak.  It  had  no  money  to  invest  in  this  new  de- 
parture. They  felt  that  the  funds  raised  by  the 
Society  must  be  kept  sacred,  and  used  only  for  the 
evangelization  of  the  heathen  abroad,  and  that  this 
paper  must  eventually  be  self-supporting.  How- 
ever, so  sure  were  they  that  it  was  the  right  thing 
to  be  done,  that  they  at  once  set  about  the  work, 
and  their  faith  overcame  every  obstacle. 

Five  or  six  ladies  became  personally  responsible 
for  the  expense  of  publishing  the  paper,  and  Mrs. 
Dr.  Warren,  Mrs.  Rev.  E.  W.  Parker,  and  Mrs.  Dr. 
Butler  were  appointed  to  arrange  for  its  publication. 
Mrs.  Willing  was  shortly  after  substituted  for  Mrs. 
Butler. 

The  late  lamented  Mr.  Flanders,  of  Boston,  did 
D«uch  by  his  counsel  and  encouragement  to  aid  them 
in  this  enterprise.  His  great  interest  and  faith  in 
the  future  of  the  Society  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
its  early  workers.    He  opened  his  house  most  freely 


44      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETV. 

to  every  one  connected  with  it.  So  convinced  was 
he  of  the  importance  of  their  issuing  at  once  a  mis- 
sionary paper  that  he  pledged  himself  financially  to 
help  publish  it ;  and  his  little  son,  "  Freddie,"  com- 
menced the  work  of  soliciting  subscribers,  and  se- 
cured thirty  before  a  copy  was  ready. 

We  copy  the  following  brief  extracts  from  letters 
written  by  Mrs.  Parker  from  Moradabad,  India,  to 
Mrs.  Flanders: 

"September  q,  1872. 

"  I  remember  with  gratitude  all  the  dear  ladies 
who  aided  in  organizing  the  Woman's  Missionary 
Society,  and  who  stood  by  it  in  its  dark  days  and 
times  of  trial,  but  I  remember  you  as  the  first  one 
I  talked  with  about  it  outside  our  missionary  circle, 
and  I  remember  how  earnestly  you  went  to  work  to 
carry  out  my  wishes  ;  and  God  crowned  those  efforts 
with  abundant  success,  and  now  the  little  one  has 
literally  become  a  thousand.  How  wonderfully  God 
has  blessed  our  Society,  so  recently  organized !  I 
am  sure  you  rejoice  in  it,  and  are  thankful  for  all 
you  have  done,  though  you  have  had  toils  and  trials 
in  it  as  I  have  ;  yet  in  Christ's  service  we  count  all 
pain  as  pleasure,  and  rejoice  that  we  are  counted 
worthy  to  be  co-laborers  with  him  in  the  salvation 
of  the  world." 

"  March  26,  1874. 

"  You  did  a  good  thing  when  you  helped  to  or- 
ganize the  Woman's  Missionary  Society.  I  always 
remember  you  as  the  first  lady  in  Boston  who  said 
or  did  any  thing  to  encourage  me  in  this  work. 
May  God  bless  you  abundantly  in  all  things  !  " 


Organization  of  the  Society.  45 

"Afay  17,  1874. 

"  I  love  to  think  of  the  happy  hours  I  spent 
with  you,  and  of  the  encouragement  you  gave  me 
in  my  work.  You  were  really  the  one  who  set  the 
wheels  agoing  that  resulted  in  the  formation  of  our 
Society,  which  is  such  a  power  for  good  in  all  the 
earth  to-day.  I  am  sure  the  good  Lord  must  have 
put  it  into  your  heart.  I  often  think  of  the  tender 
tie  that  binds  you  to  India.  Does  Freddie  love  the 
missioftary  cause  still  ?  " 

OUR   FIRST   MISSIONARY. 

"  It  is  a  significant  fact,  showing  how  on  faith  the 
corner-stone  was  laid,  that  the  first  missionary  was 
appointed  and  preparations  for  her  journey  begun 
before  the  money  was  raised  to  send  her." 

On  May  26  the  first  public  meeting  of  the  Society 
was  held  in  Bromfield-street  Church.  Governor 
Claflin  presided.  Speeches  were  made  by  Dr.  W. 
F.  Warren,  Dr.  Butler,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Parker.  Soon 
after,  a  meeting  of  the  Society  was  held,  and  Miss 
I.  Thoburn's  name  was  presented  as  a  candidate  for 
foreign  work.  Her  brother  was  already  in  the  field, 
and  so  strong  were  her  convictions  of  duty,  that  she 
had  resolved,  if  not  sent  by  us,  to  go  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  sister  Society.  Not  twenty  ladies 
were  present.  They  sat  silent.  They  had  less  than 
three  hundred  dollars  in  the  treasury — no  more  than 
enough  for  an  outfit !  "  Presumption,"  said  one. 
At  last  Mrs.  Edwin  F.  Porter,  with  faith  and  cour- 
age exceeding  all  others,  arose,  and,  with  thrilling 
earnestness,  spoke  of  the  needs  of  the  heathen  and 


46       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

of  the  peculiar  fitness  of  the  one  who  had  offered  to 
go  for  us.  "  Shall  we  lose  her,"  she  asked,  "  be- 
cause we  have  not  the  needed  money  in  our  hands  ? 
No,  rather  let  us  walk  the  streets  of  Boston  in  our 
calico  robes,  and  save  the  expense  of  more  costly 
apparel.  Mrs.  President,  I  move  the  appointment 
of  Miss  Thoburn  as  our  missionary  to  India."  Ev- 
ery heart  responded  Amen  !  and  with  united  voice 
they  said,  "  We  will  send  her  I  " 

On  the  following  September  Miss  Clara  Swain, 
M.D,,  was  appointed  medical  missionary  to  India, 
and  together  these  devoted  women  sailed  as  our 
pioneers — the  first  of  the  noble  line  which,  as  a 
strong  and  living  cable,  now  binds  the  women  of 
the  East  and  West  together  in  a  bond  which  shall 
never  be  broken  until  the  heathen  shall  be  given  to 
Christ  for  an  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts 
of  the  earth  for  his  possession. 


Isabella  Thoburn.  47 


ISABELLA   THOBURN. 

MISS  ISABELLA  THOBURN  has  the  dis- 
tinguished honor  of  being  \.\\q  first  represent- 
ative of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Immediately 
after  the  announcement  to  the  public  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  new  Society  she  offered  herself  as 
a  candidate  for  work  in  India.  Her  appointment 
created  great  enthusiasm,  and  seemed  to  settle  the 
pillars  of  the  new  structure  more  firmly  on  its  foun- 
dations. 

Miss  Thoburn  is  a  native  of  St.  Clairsville,  Ohio, 
and  was  blessed  with  the  best  of  parents — Methodists 
from  their  youth  up.  Her  brother,  Rev.  J.  M. 
Thoburn,  D.D.,  formerly  a  member  of  the  Pitts- 
burgh Conference,  was  appointed  missionary  to  In- 
dia in  1859.  ^6  is  an  earnest  and  indefatigable 
laborer  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  a  most  devoted  mis- 
sionary, whose  labors  have  been  crowned  with  great 
success.  He  has  labored  much  among  the  natives, 
preaching  to  them  in  the  vernacular  tongue,  and 
has  also  been  very  successful  in  the  English  work  in 
Calcutta,  where  he  has  raised  up  a  strong  Church, 
and  his  ministry  has  been  attended  by  multitudes. 
He  was  elected  by  the  India  Conference  as  their 
delegate  to  represent  them  in  the  General  Confer- 
ence held  in  Baltimore  in  1876. 


48      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Her  sister,  Mrs,  General  Covven,  of  Ohio,  is  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch  of  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  and  is  an 
elect  lady  of  rare  piety  and  culture. 

.  Miss  Thoburn  is  liberally  educated,  being  a  grad- 
uate of  Wheeling  College,  West  Virginia.  She  also 
spent  some  time  at  the  Academy  of  Design  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio.  After  completing  her  education  she 
taught  for  several  years  very  successfully.  She 
gave  her  heart  to  Christ  and  her  hand  to  the  Church 
early  in  life,  and  served  God  from  principle  rather 
than  from  impulse.  Her  conversion  was  not  a  sud- 
den transformation  from  darkness  to  light.  In  her 
case  the  light  shone  as  the  morning ;  gradually, 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.  From  the 
time  of  her  conversion  she  was  deeply  interested  in 
missions,  and,  after  her  brother  received  his  appoint- 
ment to  India,  she  looked  toward  that  field  with 
peculiar  interest,  and  often  longed  to  join  him  in 
his  work — to  have  the  glorious  privilege  of  pointing 
the  poor  oppressed  women  of  India  to  Christ. 

When  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized 
she  cheerfully  laid  on  the  altar  of  sacrifice  all  her 
literary  and  artistic  pursuits  and  aspirations,  and 
thankfully  obeyed  the  call  for  missionaries,  hailing 
it  with  joy,  as  an  opportunity  of  fulfilling  her  long- 
cherished  desire. 

She  sailed  from  New  York,  in  company  with  Miss 
Swain,  M.D.,  November  3,  1869,  and  arrived  in 
India  January,  1870.  She  entered  at  once  upon 
her  missionary  work,  and  has  now  given  ten  years 


Isabella   TJioburn.  49 

of  continuous  labor  to  the  cause  so  dear  to  her 
heart. 

Miss  Thoburn  is  deservedly  very  popular  in  India. 
It  is  doubtful  if  any  one  sent  out  by  our  Society 
has  rendered  more  efficient  or  valuable  service,  and 
none  have  succeeded  in  winning  more  effectually 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  in  all  classes  of  society, 
who  have  come  within  the  sphere  of  her  influence. 
A  missionary  writes  us  :  "  Miss  Thoburn's  religious 
life  is  one  of  the  most  practical  and  symmetrical  I 
ever  knew.  It  has  always  seemed  to  me  one  of  per- 
fect obedience  and  of  perfect  faith.  As  an  example 
of  her  way  of  doing  I  give  the  following  incident : 
"  When  the  renowned  William  Taylor  was  here  in 
India,  holding  a  series  of  meetings,  he  preached  one 
evening  on  the  subject  of  holiness,  and  announced 
that  this  would  be  his  theme  for  the  next  morning's 
sermon,  which  would  be  followed  by  a  prayer  and 
consecration  meeting.  After  we  got  to  our  room 
that  evening  Miss  Thoburn  said  to  me,  '  What  are 
you  going  to  do  about  to-morrow  morning's  meet- 
ing ?  I  see  plainly  what  my  duty  will  be — to  follow  all 
the  new  light  given.  I  do  not  enjoy  that  blessing. 
I  see  I  am  not  entirely  consecrated,  and  if  an  oppor- 
tunity is  given,  as  there  probably  will  be,  to  pub- 
licly avow  my  intention  of  seeking  it,  I  shall  have 
to  take  that  step.  If  there  is  any  thing  in  that  ex- 
perience that  will  make  me  a  better  Christian  and 
more  useful  in  the  work,  I  want  it.'  She  went  for- 
ward for  prayers  the  next  morning,  stated  her  posi- 
tion, said  she  intended  to  be  henceforward,  as  never 
before,  all  the  Lord's  ;  that  she  expected  him  to  be 


50     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

SO  to  her,  and  to  work  in  and  through  her  as  never 
before  ;  and  she  has  gone  on  steadfastly  since  that 
time,  I  beHeve,  fulfilHng,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  for 
mortal  to  fulfill,  the  command,  '  Walk  before  me, 
and  be  thou  perfect.'  " 

The  most  important  work  done  in  the  mission 
field  by  Miss  Thoburn  has  probably  been  in  con- 
nection with  the  Christian  Girls*  Boarding-School, 
in  Lucknow,  of  which  she  has  been  superintendent. 
The  first  Annual  Report  of  the  India  Branch  of  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  published  in 
Lucknow,  1 87 1,  says  :  "  This  school  was  opened  in 
April  and  continued  until  November,  when  it  num- 
bered twenty-five  pupils.  These  were  all  from  the 
city,  except  four,  who  were  from  out-stations,  and 
boarded  in  the  families  of  native  Christians  here. 
From  knowing  many  native  helpers  and  other 
Christians  who  have  no  opportunity  to  educate  their 
daughters,  a  girls'  boarding-school  has  been  deter- 
mined on  for  the  coming  year,  something  similar  to 
the  Amroha  school,  but  of  a  higher  grade.  If  we 
do  any  great  and  good  work  among  the  women  of 
India  we  must  show  them  the  superiority  of  Chris- 
tian womanhood,  and  we  must  have  trained  Chris- 
tian women  to  work  with  us.  The  Orphanage  has 
done  much  in  preparing  girls  for  usefulness,  but  it 
cannot  reach  all.  Beyond  its  range  is  a  field  that 
must  be  occupied  by  boarding-schools,  such  as  we 
depend  upon  for  the  education  of  girls  at  home. 
To  meet  this  want  we  have  organized  the  Lucknow 
Christian  Girls'  School." 

This  school  has  been  steadily  increasing  in  inter- 


Isabella   Thobiirn.  ,   5 1 

est  and  numbers,  and  during  the  year  1879  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  names  were  enrolled. 
Though  occupying  a  large  share  of  her  attention, 
Miss  Thoburn's  labors  were  not  confined  to  this 
school  alone.  She  was  active  in  every  good  work 
connected  with  the  mission  field,  and  with  a  zeal 
which  knew  no  abatement — a  love  for  souls  which 
no  weariness  could  overcome,  and  a  faith  which 
would  not  ^rink  in  the  face  of  difficulties — she 
was  continually  reaching  out  into  the  regions  be- 
yond, and  extending  the  field  of  her  missionary 
operations.  In  addition  to  all  her  other  work,  she 
has  organized  several  new  schools,  and  superintended 
them  until  help  could  be  sent  from  America.  One 
of  them  is  at  Cawnpore,  now  managed  by  Miss 
Easton.  From  a  private  letter  written  by  a  mis- 
sionary we  make  the  following  extract :     • 

"  I  think  there  are  but  few  Miss  Thoburns  liv- 
ing. I  shall  always  be  glad — glad  through  all 
eternity — that  she  was  here  when  I  came  to  In- 
dia. What  a  record  hers  is !  Captain  Romaine, 
when  describing  General  Holbrook  standing  on 
one  side,  and  saying  to  the  Indian  chief,  Joseph — 
pointing  to  General  Miles — '  There  is  the  man  you 
are  to  surrender  to,'  said,  *  He  is  the  one  man  in  a 
thousand  ! '  Isabella  Thoburn  is  the  one  woman  in 
a  thousand.  She  began  the  Cawnpore  school  with 
nothing  but  her  hands  full  of  other  work.  She 
planned,  she  wrote  letters,  she  did  hard  and  dis- 
tasteful work.  For  two  years,  in  heat  most  intoler- 
able, she  made  the  weekly  trips  to  and  from  Luck- 
now,  and  when  the  school  gets,  through  her  labors, 


52      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

a  local  habitation,  a  comfortable  furnishing,  and 
fifty  pupils,  she  freely  hands  it  over  to  another,  and 
only  hopes  from  her  heart  of  hearts  that  the  new 
superintendent  may  do  more  and  better  than  she." 

We  close  the  sketch  with  the  following  extracts 
from  a  beautiful  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Chandler,  of 
Baltimore,  who,  with  her  husband,  has  just  made 
the  tour  of  the  world — visiting  our  mission  stations. 
It  is  full  of  interest,  not  only  with  regard  to  Miss 
Thoburn  and  her  work,  but  as  regards  the  general 
mission  field,  and  must  prove  an  inspiration  to  our 
home  workers: 

"  What  can  I  say  to  you  of  our  dear  Miss  Tho- 
burn which  can  in  any  wise  convey  to  you  all  she 
is  where  she  is  ?  Going  abroad,  as  we  did,  simply 
as  tourists  in  search  of  health  and  pleasure,  with  no 
knowled^  of  the  work  of  the  Society,  I  did  not 
know  even  the  names  of  these  noble  women  of  ours. 
'  Home  work  '  had  been  my  rallying  call  for  years, 
and  amid  the  sin  and  shame  and  want  and  sorrow  I 
found  as  I  threaded  the  lanes  and  alleys  of  my  city 
home,  I  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cry  coming  across  the 
sea.  But  conviction  came  to  me  at  last.  It  forced 
itself  upon  me  in  China,  with  its  millions  of  women 
bound  hand  and  foot  in  chains  of  superstition  and 
ignorance;  in  India,  as  I  sat  in  zenanas  and  realized 
there  the  awfulness  of  the  degradation  of  its  women. 

"  But  you  wish  me  to  speak  of  Miss  Thoburn. 
Knowing  her  beautiful  character,  her  intense  shrink- 
ing from  any  thing  which  might  .shadow  forth  par- 
tiality or  have  a  tinge  of  flattery,  I  find  it  difficult 
to  moderate  feeling  into  suitable  words.     But  I  shall 


Isabella   Thobiirn.  53 

write  as  I  please  about  her  work.  There  she  is 
queen.  On  the  evening  of  the  13th  February  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Waugh  drove  me  to  the  Memorial  Garden, 
in  Cawnpore,  where  the  sod  above  English  graves 
grows  green,  and  where,  under  the  pure  white  mar- 
ble, a  great  company  of  Christian  people,  chiefly 
women  and  children,  await  the  resurrection  morn- 
ing. From  the  cemetery  we  drove  to  the  building, 
now  our  own  property,  in  Cawnpore,  and  then  un- 
der Miss  Thoburn's  charge,  in  connection  with  her 
school  in  Lucknow.  With  my  mind  filled  with  a 
vivid  picture  of  that  awful  night  of  massacre — 

'  That  vvaveless,  sailless,  shoreless  sea  of  woe  ' 

which  engulfed  and  swallowed  up  so  many  of  En- 
gland's fairest  daughters,  I  first  saw  Miss  Thoburn. 
Her  face  is  so  peaceful ;  a  sort  of  a  benediction  it 
was  to  me.  Her  presence  is  commanding.  She  is 
quiet  in  demeanor,  but,  I  afterward  found,  quick  to 
see,  direct  in  decision,  firm  to  act.  The  intense 
love  that  is  poured  out  for  her,  and  the  deference 
paid  her  decisions  by  those  with  whom  she  is  asso- 
ciated, prove  her  well-balanced  mind  and  her  supe- 
rior judgment. 

"  Sitting  there,  the  purpling  shadows  gathering, 
she  pointed  up  the  Ganges,  directing  my  attention 
to  an  object  swaying  to  and  fro  in  the  water.  Tt 
was  a  human  body,  partially  consumed  at  the  burn- 
ing ghat  and  then  cast  into  the  sacred  river  to  find 
its  heaven.  '  Do  you  wonder,*  she  said,  *  when  from 
our  very  doors  we  look  upon  such  things,  our  hearts' 
desire  and  prayer  for  them  is,  that  they  shall  know 


54     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

and  worship  the  true  God  ?  '  Then,  as  we  stood 
under  the  quivering  peepul-trees  and  listened  to  the 
whispering  leaves,  she  told  me  how  the  natives  wor- 
shiped those  trees,  believing  the  constant  motion, 
even  when  no  breath  of  air  seemed  to  be  stirring, 
indicated  the  abode  of  the  gods,  who  made  those 
trees  their  home,  and  whose  wives  and  children 
dwelt  therein. 

"  The  boarding-school  was  of  wonderful  interest 
to  me.  I  think  there  were  about  sixty-five  scholars. 
Some  were  young  ladies  and  some  were  very  small. 
They  sang,  'Tell  me  the  old,  old  story.'  I  thought 
how  new  it  was  to  them,  and  how  sweet  to  hear  in 
that  foreign  tongue.  There  were  bright  faces  there. 
Sunlight  was  in  their  hearts  as  they  read  the  pre- 
cious word,  repeated  texts  of  Scripture,  and  sang 
their  glad  song,  Esunam-u-de-poodo — '  The  Name  of 
Jesus.'  Each  class  had  its  teacher,  and  was  in  its 
separate  place.  The  lessons  were  progressing  with 
as  much  regularity  as  in  our  best  schools  at  home. 
It  just  made  me  cry  to  stand  there  in  that  land  and 
hear  these  natives  singing  our  songs,  saying  our 
prayers,  and  repeating  our  lessons.  My  heart  sang 
its  doxology  of  praise  to  God,  from  whom  alone 
such  blessings  come. 

"  Then  we  went  out  for  a  walk,  and  there  pressed 
upon  us  and  followed  after  us  the  poor  and  maimed 
and  leprous  crowd,  crying  piteously,  *  Backsheesh  ! 
mem  Sahib,  backsheesh !  '  Miss  Thoburn  said  to 
us,  '  I  always  realize  more  clearly  as  I  walk  these 
streets  what  our  dear  Lord  meant  when  he  said, 
"  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,"  for  these  poor 


Isabella  Thoburn.  55 

wretches,  many  of  them,  have  not  one  pice  for  to- 
morrow's bread.'  And  truly  she  appeared  to  me 
that  day,  with  her  pitying  face,  almost  as  an  angel 
might  who  had  left  the  music  of  heaven  to  dwell 
among  wailing  souls,  sitting  in  the  region  and 
shadow  of  death. 

"  I  expressed  to  her  something  of  this  thought  in 
my  mind,  and  asked  her  if  she  did  not  sometimes 
long  for  her  own  land  of  privilege?  I  shall  never 
forget  her  look  almost  of  reproach.  She  did  not 
answer  for  awhile.  We  were  out  on  an  open  eleva- 
tion, and  her  eyes  seemed  to  take  in  the  whole 
sweep  of  the  country,  with  its  mosques  and  mina- 
rets, its  shrines  of  pollution,  and  its  people  of  deg- 
radation. With  a  kindling  face  she  turned  to  me 
and  said  these  words,  *  Don't  go  home  to  excite 
sympathy  for  me.  I  am  happy  here  in  my  work. 
I  am  busy  here,  and  we  all  feel  so.  Our  work  lies 
here,  and  when  sickness  comes,  and  we  turn  our 
faces  homeward,  we  leave  our  hearts  behind.'  O  it 
is  sublime — the  lives  and  work  of  these  women  out 
there ! 

"  In  the  evening  there  was  a  prayer  and  experi- 
ence meeting  in  the  Home,  at  which  were  the  min- 
isters and  their  wives,  Revs.  Cunningham,  Craven, 
Mansell,  Miss  Blackmar,  Miss  Rowe,  and  others, 
whose  names  I  have  forgotten. 

"  O  how  precious  it  was,  and  how  near  seemed 
our  God  !  I  feared  for  Miss  Thoburn's  health.  She 
was  evidently  overtaxing  herself.  If  she  could  be 
prevailed  upon  to  rest,  it  would  be  of  great  ad- 
vantage to  her  and  to  us.     Intellectually  superior, 


56       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

morally  heroic,  of  good  physique,  and  splendid 
natural  constitution,  such  a  woman  can  seldom  be 
replaced. 

"  I  have  never  been  the  same  woman  since  I  trod 
those  lands.  Learning  by  sight  what  nations  are 
without  Christianity,  and  individuals  without  Christ, 
wakes  one  up  to  a  responsibility  of  birth  in  a  Chris- 
tian land.  Standing  beside  the  banks  of  the  Ganges, 
watching  dying  feet  laved  by  its  waves,  while  upon 
the  brow,  from  which  the  light  of  life  was  fast  fad- 
ing, was  its  sacred  mud,  I  made  my  vow  of  service 
to  this  woman's  work  for  women. 

"  In  bond  of  faith,  in  fellowship  of  labor, 

"Yours,  Belle  N.  Chandler." 


Clara  A.  Swain,    M.D. 


Clara  A,  Sivain,  M.D.  59 


CLARA  A.  SWAIN,  M.D. 

THE  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  the 
honor  of  sending  the  first  medical  lady  who  has 
ever  gone  as  a  missionary  to  the  East,  in  the  per- 
son of  Miss  Clara  A.  Swain. 

This  lady  was  born  in  Elmira,  New  York.  She 
was  converted  and  joined  the  Church  at  the  early 
age  of  twelve  years.  Her  conversion  was  marked 
by  a  clearness  and  a  decision  seldom  seen  in  one  so 
young,  and  this,  with  the  intelligence,  the  maturity 
of  thought  which  she  evinced,  led  the  Church  to 
predict  for  her  a  life  of  rare  excellence  and  useful- 
ness. When  only  eight  years  of  age  she  became 
impressed  with  the  thought  that  some  time  in  the 
future  she  would  be  called  to  carry  the  Bible  to  the 
heathen.  This  impression  continued  to  follow  her 
until  she  reached  her  twenty-fifth  year.  Then,  as 
no  way  seemed  to  open  for  the  accomplishment  of 
this  desire,  she  began  to  think  perhaps  she  was  mis- 
taken, and  strove  to  turn  her  attention  in  other 
directions. 

Her  education  was  received  principally  in  Castile, 
New  York.  After  this  she  was  a  student  in  Canan- 
daigua  Seminary.  She  then  engaged  as  teacher  in 
one  of  the  public  schools,  in  which  she  remained 
seven  years.     During  her  last  term  in  this  school 


6o       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

she  resolved  to  study  medicine,  and  an  opportunity 
was  presented  to  her  which  she  regarded  as  ordered 
of  the  Lord,  and  she  immediately  sent  in  her  resig- 
nation to  the  school  board,  and  accepted  the  situa- 
tion offered.  With  an  uncompromising  faith  in 
God,  and  a  firm  reliance  upon  her  own  energy  and 
will,  she  pursued  her  four  years'  course,  and  gradu- 
ated with  high  honors  from^the  Woman's  Medical 
College,  in  Philadelphia,  in  1869.  While  completing 
her  last  college  term  the  desire  to  engage  in  mis- 
sionary work  again  filled  her  heart — her  former  im- 
pressions returned  with  such  force  that  she  was  un- 
able to  shake  them  off.  God,  who  was  leading  her, 
opened  the  way  before  her.  His  purposes  concern- 
ing her  began  to  unfold,  and  she  was  no  sooner 
ready  for  the  work,  than  the  work  was  ready  for  her. 
She  was  appointed  medical  missionary  to  India, 
and  sailed  with  Miss  Thoburn,  November,  1869. 
After  reaching  that  land  she  began  her  work  in 
Bareilly.  She  was  marvelously  successful  in  win- 
ning the  confidence  and  hearts  of  the  people,  from 
the  lowest  to  the  highest  castes.  Miss  Swain  was 
so  intensely  interested  in  her  work,  so  self-sacri- 
ficing in  her  devotion  to  the  suffering,  and  so  ardent 
was  her  desire  to  open  every  possible  door  for  the 
entrance  of  the  word  of  life,  that  she  toiled  on  in- 
cessantly, forgetting  her  own  ease,  and  unobservant 
of  the  severe  draft  made  upon  her  own  energies,  un- 
til her  physical  system  was  entirely  prostrated  by 
disease,  and  she  was  obliged  to  seek  health  and  re- 
cuperation in  her  native  land.* 

*  She  has  since  returned  to  India. 


Clara  A.  Swain,  M.D.  6l 

She  returned  to  America  in  1876.  While  at  home 
she  lost  no  opportunity  for  advancing  the  interests 
of  the  cause  ;  and  when  her  physical  strength  would 
admit  she  attended  and  addressed  large  meetings, 
and,  wherever  she  went,  her  presence,  and  her  dif- 
fusion of  missionary  intelligence,  proved  an  inspira- 
tion to  the  home  work. 

The  account  of  her  call  to  the  foreign  field,  and 
her  work  in  India,  is  so  pleasantly  told  by  herself  in 
"Women  of  the  Orient,"*  that  we  give  it,  in  part, 
to  our  readers. 

"  In  a  personal  interview,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Hale,  for- 
merly President  of  the  Ladies'  Union  Missionary 
Society,  told  me  that  more  than  twenty  years  ago 
she  wrote  an  appeal  to  American  Christian  women 
in  behalf  of  the  Ladies'  Medical  Missionary  Society, 
to  aid  in  securing  and  educating  women  as  medical 
missionaries.  It  had  long  been  a  cherished  thought 
of  Mrs.  Hale's  that  a  missionary  lady  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  medicine  might  be  able  to  enter  the  homes, 
and  perhaps  reach  the  hearts,  of  heathen  women 
through  the  art  of  healing  more  effectually  than  in 
any  other  way.  We  are  glad  that  this  dear  lady 
has  lived  to  see  her  thought  and  plan  for  entering 
the  Hindu  zenana  carried  out,  although  not  as 
generally  as  she  could  wish.  In  1869,  a  few  months 
before  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized, 
Mrs.  Rev.  D.  W.  Thomas,  of  Bareilly,  India,  wrote 

*  Taken  from  Rev.  Ross  C.  Houghton's  valuable  book,  entitled 
"  Women  of  the  Orient."  Published  by  Walden  &  Stowe,  Cin- 
cinnati 


62       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

to  the  Union  Missionary  Society  of  the  Philadelphia 
Branch,  requesting  them  to  send  out  a  medical  lady 
for  Bareilly,  to  instruct  a  class  of  native  Christian 
girls,  also  to  practice  in  the  city  as  opportunity 
presented. 

"  In  response  to  this  call  the  ladies  began  at  once 
to  look  for  some  suitable  person  who  was  willing  to 
go.  After  three  months  of  thought  and  prayer  I 
accepted  the  call.  I  was  a  member  of  the  graduat- 
ing class  of  1869  of  the  Woman's  Medical  College 
of  Philadelphia.  In  the  meantime,  the  ladies  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  organized  a  Foreign 
Missionary  Society.  As  I  was  a  member  of  that 
Church  I  preferred  going  out  under  the  auspices  of 
my  own  society.  Upon  application,  the  Ladies' 
Union  very  generously  gave  up  all  claim  and  grant- 
ed my  request.  I  sailed  in  company  with  Miss 
Thoburn,  the  first  missionary  appointed  by  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  November  3, 
1869,  and  arrived  in  Bareilly,  January  20,  1870. 

"  As  I  came  out  of  my  room  the  next  morning 
after  my  arrival  at  Bareilly,  I  found  a  group  of  na- 
tive Christian  women  and  children  sitting  on  the 
veranda,  anxiously  aAvaiting  my  appearance.  I  be- 
gan my  work  at  once  among  the  women  of  the 
Christian  village  and  in  the  families  of  the  house- 
hold servants  living  in  the  mission  compound.  Very 
soon  it  was  noised  abroad  in  the  city  and  adjacent 
villages  that  a  lady  doctor  had  come  from  America 
and  would  go  to  visit  any  family  that  might  desire 
her  services,  and  any  sick  person  coming  to  the 
mission-house  would   receive  attention  and  medi- 


Clara  A.  Szuain,  M.D.  63 

cine  free.  Accordingly,  men,  women,  and  children 
came. 

"  Not  many  weeks  passed  before  I  began  to  be 
called  to  attend  patients  in  their  homes.  Within 
three  months  I  attended  the  sick  in  fifteen  different 
families  in  the  city,  five  of  which  were  high-caste 
families,  Mrs.  Thomas,  or  one  of  the  native  Chris- 
tian women  who  understood  English,  always  ac- 
companied me  and  acted  as  interpreter. 

"  On  March  first  I  began  teaching  a  class  in  medi- 
cine, consisting  of  fourteen  girls  from  the  Orphanage 
and  three  married  women.  In  1873,  April  10,  thir- 
teen members  of  the  class  passed  their  final  exam- 
ination in  the  presence  of  two  civil  surgeons  and 
Rev.  Dr.  Johnson,  of  our  mission,  who  granted  them 
certificates  of  practice  in  all  ordinary  diseases.  Not 
long  after  these  girls  graduated  they  were  all  mar- 
ried except  one,  who  proved  to  be  a  leper.  She  was 
sent  to  the  Leper  Asylum,  in  Almorah,  in  the  Him- 
alaya Mountains,  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Buddan,  of  the  London  Mission.  Lepers  are  much 
more  comfortable  in  the  mountain  air  than  when 
subject  to  the  heat  of  the  plains.  Most  of  the  class 
married  native  ministers  and  teachers,  who  were 
sent  out  into  the  village  to  work.  Their  wives  have 
had  ample  opportunity  to  use  their  medical  knowl- 
edge. Some  of  them  are  doing  a  good  work,  while 
others  make  more  intelligent  women  and  mothers 
for  having  the  advantage  of  medical  knowledge. 

•'  As  my  practice  increased  I  found  my  room  in 
the  mission-house  too  small  and  inconvenient  for 
our  morning  clinics,  and   the  homes  of  the  poor 


64     WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

where  I  was  called  to  attend  the  sick  were  so  utterly" 
destitute  of  comforts  of  any  kind,  that  what  little  I 
could  do  for  them  seemed  of  very  little  use.  I 
longed  for  a  clean,  comfortable  place  to  offer  them. 
Our  need  of  a  hospital  each  day  grew  more  urgent, 
but  just  where  we  could  purchase  suitable  grounds 
to  build,  and  whether  the  Society  could  furnish  the 
means  necessary,  were  the  two  questions  that  needed 
first  to  be  answered.  The  most  convenient  and 
suitable  place  for  our  buildings,  and  adjoining  our 
mission  premises,  was  owned  by  a  Mohammedan 
prince.  We  had  supposed  that  the  purchase  of  this 
property  was  impossible.  We  were  advised,  how- 
ever, to  see  if  this  could  not  be  obtained,  or  at  least 
land  enough  for  our  buildings.  Through  the  advice 
of  Mr.  Drummond,  Commissioner  of  Bareilly,  Mr. 
Thomas  decided  to  make  personal  inquiries  of  his 
Highness  the  Nawab,  who  lived  in  the  city  of  Ram- 
pore,  about  forty  miles  from  Bareilly.  Through  his 
highness'  prime  minister  we  gained  permission  to 
have  an  interview  with  the  prince  ;  also  a  promise 
to  lay  our  dak,  or,  in  other  words,  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  our  trip  to  Rampore,  if  we  would  notify 
him  of  the  day  we  wished  to  go. 

"  Our  party  consisted  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas, 
myself,  and  a  native  Christian  gentleman,  who  was 
formerly  of  the  Mohammedan  faith,  and  understood 
something  of  their  royal  etiquette.  Informing  the 
prime  minister  of  the  day  we  wished  to  go,  he  had 
every  thing  in  readiness  for  us.  Twenty-four  horses, 
a  grand  old  carriage,  coachman,  two  grooms  and 
outriders,  were  supposed  to  be  necessary  for  these 


Clara  A.  Sivain,  M.D.  65 

four  humble  people,  who  were  to  have  their  first 
experience  with  Eastern  royalty.  What  a  conde- 
scension for  this  king,  who  had  made  his  boast  that 
no  Christian  missionary  dared  enter  the  city  of 
Rampore  ! 

"  We  left  home  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
changing  horses  every  six  miles.  As  we  drew  near, 
three  cavalrymen  came  to  escort  us  into  the  city. 
Passing  through  the  gates,  his  highness'  subjects 
made  low  salaams,  and  the  children  cried,  *  Long 
life  and  prosperity  ! '  We  were  driven  through  the 
main  bazaar  for  about  two  miles  to  a  house  just 
outside  the  city,  which  is  kept  by  his  highness  for 
the  entertainment  of  European  visitors  and  travel- 
ers. Here  we  found  every  thing  necessary  for  our 
comfort.  Breakfast  was  awaiting  us,  and  servants 
stood  ready  to  give  us  any  assistance  we  might 
need.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker,  of  Moradabad,  who 
had  been  apprised  of  our  intentions,  were  also 
awaiting  us. 

"  His  highness,  on  receiving  the  news  of  our  ar- 
rival, sent  his  messenger  to  say  he  would  not  be 
able  to  see  us  until  the  next  day,  as  he  was  espe- 
cially engaged  in  his  prayers.  We  were  not  sorry, 
as  it  gave  us  more  time  for  rest  and  preparation  for 
our  anticipated  interview.  For  our  entertainment 
he  sent  two  music  boxes,  which  played  very  sweetly, 
and  his  trained  men  to  perform  for  us.  One  man 
lifted  a  camel,  another  performed  wonderful  feats  in 
rope-walking  and  climbing  a  pole.  Then  came  a 
play — a  burlesque  upon  English  officials.  They 
were  well  skilled  in  their  profession,  and  not  only 


66     WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

showed  their  power  of  imitation,  but  their  keen  ap- 
preciation of  the  foibles  and  defects  of  others.  To 
us  it  was  not  merely  a  source  of  amusement,  but  af- 
forded us  a  valuable  lesson.  After  dinner  two  fine 
carriages  and  horses  were  sent  by  his  highness  to 
take  Us  for  an  evening  drive. 

"  The  next  morning,  early,  the  carriages  were  sent 
for  us.  We  took  our  seats,  and  were  first  driven  to 
several  palaces  and  gardens,  then  came  at  last  to  the 
royal  palace.  As  we  entered  the  gate  five  royal 
elephants,  beautifully  caparisoned,  made  their  sa- 
laams to  us,  by  lifting  their  trunks  and  touching 
their  foreheads  in  a  very  graceful  manner.  We 
were  helped  from  the  carriage  and  escorted  into  the 
presence  of  his  highness.  He  arose  and  greeted 
us  in  a  very  friendly  manner.  His  cordiality  served 
to  relieve  our  embarrassment  as  we  took  the  seats 
which  were  assigned  us  and  entered  into  a  friendly 
conversation.  After  a  few  minutes  the  prime  min- 
ister arose,  advanced  to  his  highness,  and  whispered 
something  into  his  ear,  to  which  he  gave  his  assent. 
The  prime  minister  then  told  Mr.  Thomas  to  make 
his  request  known.  Mr.  Thomas  said  he  wished  to 
procure,  upon  some  terms,  the  estate  adjoining  the 
mission  premises  belonging  to  him  in  Bareilly,  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  a  hospital  for  women 
and  children.  Before  Mr.  Thomas  had  time  to  make 
a  further  statement,  his  highness  said,  *  Take  it  ! 
take  it !  I  give  it  with  pleasure  for  such  a  purpose.* 
We  were  not  aware  that  it  is  the  custom  of  a  Mo- 
hammedan prince  never  to  sell  any  real  estate  which 
formerly  belonged  to  his  father's  inheritance.     If 


Clara  A .  Swain,  M.  D.  6^ 

they  consent  to  part  with  any  of  it,  it  is  presented 
as  a  gift.  Neither  were  we  prepared  for  so  generous 
a  gift,  and  were  not  a  little  surprised  when  the  an- 
nouncement was  made.  We  did  take  it  with  thank- 
ful hearts,  not  only  to  the  Prince  of  Rampore,  but 
to  the  great  King  of  th-e  universe,  who,  we  believe, 
put  it  into  his  heart  to  give  it  to  us. 

"  Our  interview  with  the  prince  was  short.  Very 
soon  after  the  matter  of  business  was  over  he  arose, 
bowed  to  us,  and  left  the  room.  The  prime  minis- 
ter then  showed  us  some  of  the  apartments  of  the 
palace,  which  were  beautifully  furnished  and  taste- 
fully arranged.  We  were  not  invited  into  the  wom- 
en's apartments,  much  to  our  regret. 

"  Our  gift  contained  forty  acres  of  land  and  a 
house,  well  built  but  old,  and  needing  some  repairs 
to  make  it  suitable  to  live  in.  This  house  the  prince 
expected  us  to  use  as  a  hospital,  but,  owing  to  the 
style,  we  considered  it  unsuitable  for  native  ladies, 
with  their  ideas  of  seclusion.  So  we  decided  to  use 
it  as  a  home  for  single  missionary  ladies  and  their 
attendants,  and  to  build  a  hospital  more  on  the  plan 
of  a  native  house.  We  began  at  once  to  repair  the 
house,  and  had  it  ready  to  move  into  on  January  3. 
A  part  of  it  was  used  for  a  dispensary,  and  a  few 
rooms  were  reserved  for  patients  whose  caste  would 
allow  them  to  occupy  a  house  with  us,  until  we 
could  put  up  more  desirable  buildings.  A  few  na- 
tive gentlemen,  who  were  quite  in  favor  of  our 
efforts,  promised  to  give  us  some  assistance.  Ac- 
cordingly we  drew  up  a  paper,  stating  what  we  de- 
sired to  do,  asking  for  contributions,  and  circulated 


68       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

it  among  the  native  people.  About  seven  hundred 
rupees  (equal  to  $350)  were  subscribed.  The  estate 
was  given  to  the  mission,  October  3,  1871.  The 
dispensary  building  was  finished  May  10,  1873,  and 
the  hospital  completed  and  ready  for  use,  January  i, 
1874.  The  expense  of  building,  repairing  the  house 
already  on  the  estate,  making  roads,  setting  out 
trees,  etc.,  was  $10,300.  This  was  all  furnished  by 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  except  the  seven 
hundred  rupees  subscribed  in  India.  The  buildings 
are  of  brick,  plastered  inside  and  out,  and  white- 
washed or  tinted. 

"  Patients  began  to  come  to  the  hospital  as  soon 
as  we  could  accommodate  them;  Hindus,  Moham- 
medans, and  native  Christians,  all  having  their  own 
separate  apartments.  A  patient  seldom  comes  alone 
to  stay  in  the  hospital.  If  she  is  poor,  she  must 
bring  her  children,  and,  perhaps,  her  mother-in-law 
or  Avidowed  sister,  who  may  be  a  member  of  her 
household.  If  the  patient  is  of  high  caste,  her  hus- 
band and  friends  would  consider  it  a  disgrace  for 
her  to  come  alone.  Often  they  not  only  bring  their 
families  and  several  servants,  but  a  yoke  of  oxen,  a 
horse  and  conveyance,  a  goat,  their  food,  furniture, 
and  cooking  utensils.  We  are  not  always  particular 
how  many  of  the  family  come  if  they  are  willing  to 
obey  the  rules  necessary  in  such  an  institution,  as 
we  hope  to  do  them  good  in  a  social  and  friendly 
way.     They  are  no  expense  to  us  for  food, 

"The  work  of  1875,  my  last  year  in  India,  was 
more  satisfactory  to  me  than  any  year  previous. 


Clara  A.  Swain,  M.D.  69 

Possibly  we  had  a  more  hopeful  class  of  patients, 
and  were  able  to  do  them  more  good.  At  one  time, 
during  the  rainy  season,  the  hospital  was  occupied 
by  an  American  missionary  lady  and  her  children, 
Eurasian  and  Bengalee  women,  Hindus,  Moham- 
medans, and  native  Christians,  all  with  their  own 
peculiar  customs.  With  all  these  different  people 
and  castes  there  was  never  any  trouble  among  the 
women  and  their  servants,  that  I  knew  of.  Twice 
a  week  as  many  of  the  patients  and  their  families  as 
were  able  assembled  in  one  room  for  a  prayer-meet- 
ing and  religious  conversation.  These  gatherings 
were  often  very  interesting  and  profitable.  Some 
of  the  women  learned  to  read  while  they  were  with 
us ;  others,  who  were  unable  to  learn,  were  always 
ready  to  listen  to  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  or 
to  any  other  religious  book. 

"Sometimes  the  young  women  meet  with  great 
opposition  from  their  mothers-in-law  when  they  at- 
tempt to  learn,  or  are  in  the  least  inclined  to  adopt 
any  thing  new.  There  are  many  difficulties  to  be 
overcome  in  all  departments  of  our  work,  as  there 
naturally  would  be  among  a  people  who  have  fol- 
lowed in  the  footsteps  of  their  ancestors  for  two 
thousand  years,  without  improvement  Either  in  art 
or  science.  There  are  years  of  hard  preparatory 
work  to  be  done  in  the  homes  of  India  before  there 
will  be  any  great  change  in  the  religious  sentiment 
of  the  people.  And  this  work  must  be  done  mainly 
through  the  agency  of  Christian  women." 
6 


70      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


FIRST  MEETING  OF  THE  GENERAL  EXECU- 
TIVE  COMMITTEE. 

THE  first  annual  meeting  of  the  General  Exec- 
utive Committee  was  held  at  the  residence  of 
Mrs.  Thomas  Rich,  Boston,  April  20,  1870. 

Previous  to  this,  in  order  to  make  the  Society 
more  efficient  in  its  operations,  it  was  thought  best 
to  divide  it  into  districts,  similar  to  the  missionary- 
districts  of  the  parent  Society,  each  district  to  be 
represented  by  a  branch  Society.  Accordingly  these 
branches  were  organized  in  the  following  order: 
Philadelphia,  March  3,  1870;  New  England  and 
New  York,  March  10;  North-western,  March  17; 
Western,  April  4 ;  and  Cincinnati,  April  6. 

The  Executive  Committee  consisted  of  delegates 
from  the  six  branches  then  organized,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Cincinnati,  which  was  represented  by 
Mrs.  Parker, 

In  December,  prior  to  this,  a  new  Constitution, 
on  an  enlarged  plan,  arranging  for  these  Branch 
Societies,  was  drafted  and  submitted  to  the  Board 
of  Managers  of  the  Missionary  Society,  for  their  ap- 
proval and  sanction.  The  Board  had  previously 
referred  the  whole  matter  of  ladies'  missionary  so- 
cieties to  a  committee,  who,  on  receiving  the  re- 
vised Constitution,  recommended  its  sanction  by  the 
Board,  which  was  freely  given. 


Executive  Committee — First  ^letting.  71 

At  this  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee 
Mrs.  Dr.  William  F.  Warren  was  appointed  Editor 
of  the  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,"  with  a  corps 
of  editorial  contributors.  It  is  an  encouraging  fact 
that  whenever  a  person  has  been  needed  to  take 
charge  of  important  trusts,  vital  to  the  interests  of 
the  Society,  Providence  has  indicated  the  individual, 
and  the  position  has  been  filled  by  the  one  prepared 
to  bring  the  highest  honor  to  God  and  his  cause. 
The  "Heathen  Woman's  Friend"  is  a  power  for 
good  at  home  and  abroad.  By  its  general  diffusion 
of  intelligence,  fresh  from  the  foreign  fields,  it  cre- 
ates missionary  enthusiasm  wherever  it  goes.  It  is 
chaste,  vigorous,  and  progressive.  It  takes  the  front 
rank  as  a  missionary  paper,  and  is  appreciated  and 
commended  by  the  highest  officials  in  our  Church. 
In  four  years  from  the  time  the  first  number  was 
issued  it  had  reached  a  circulation  of  twenty-five 
thousand  seven  hundred.  To  Mrs.  L.  H.  Daggett, 
the  publishing  agent,  much  credit  is  due  for  her 
superior  business  tact,  and  indefatigable  zeal  in 
superintending  the  financial  interests  of  the  paper. 

The  support  of  the  Bareilly  Orphanage,  hereto- 
fore in  charge  of  the  parent  Society,  was  now  as- 
sumed by  the  ladies,  and  an  appropriation  of  $3,000 
made  for  that  purpose.  Miss  Fannie  J.  Sparkes  was 
accepted  as  a  missionary  candidate,  to  sail  the  next 
October  for  India,  to  engage  in  Orphanage  work ; 
and  the  following  year  she  took  charge  of  the  insti- 
tution. Steps  were  also  taken  with  regard  to  ex- 
tending our  work  into  China  and  Bulgaria. 

The  first  anniversary  of  the  Woman's   Foreign 


72      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was  held  in  Tremont-street  Church,  Boston, 
April  21.  Mrs.  William  B.  Skidmore  read  the  Script- 
ures and  offered  prayer.  The  various  Branches  were 
then  represented  by  the  Corresponding  Secretaries, 
after  which  addresses  were  delivered  by  Mrs.  Dr. 
Maclay,  of  our  China  Mission,  and  Mrs.  J.  T.  Gracey, 
of  India.  The  meeting  was  one  of  great  interest ; 
and,  encouraged  by  the  reports  of  the  year's  work, 
the  ladies  went  forth  with  renewed  confidence  and 
zeal  to  the  labors  of  the  coming  year. 


Lines  to  Miss  hannic  J.  Sparkes.  73 


UNES  TO   MISS  FANNIE  J.   SPARKES,   MISSIONARY 
TO    INDIA. 

BY   REV.   W.    W.   RUNYON. 

So  fare  thee  well.     We  here  thy  voice  no  more ; 

On  rolling  billows  now  thy  bark  is  tossed. 
The  Master  bids  thee  to  far  India's  shore, 

There,  like  himself,  to  seek  and  save  the  lost. 

Be  thou,  great  King,  her  pilot  o'er  the  flood ; 

Propitious  gales,  breath  on  her  from  above ; 
Lead,  angels,  to  the  land  of  niglit  and  blood 

Your  peer  and  sister,  exile  of  her  love  : — 

A  darksome  land  in  yon  bright  orient, 

Where  hearts  grow  chill  beneath  the  fervid  skies; 

Where  human  knees  to  stocks  and  stones  are  bent, 
And  mighty  gOds  from  dust  and  slime  arise  ! 

In  those  rank  jungles  error  builds  her  lair, 
Whose  bleeding  victims  stumble,  grope,  and  die. 

Might  Sinai's  thunder  shake  the  slumbrous  air  ! 
Might  millions  wake  to  Calvary's  mournful  cry ! 

How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long  shall  Buddh  and  Brahm 

Compel  the  incense  of  infernal  fires  ? 
Bid  Sharon's  rose,  and  Gilead's  healing  balm. 

Spring,  phoenix-like,  from  out  those  smold'ring  pyres. 

Fly,  angel  of  the  glorious  Gospel,  fly  ! 

We  shout,  God  speed  you  on  your  shining  way, 
Teach  your  fair  hands  to  lift  the  cross  on  high. 

And  pluck  from  fate's  foul  fangs  the  trembling  prey. 

O  lady,  prodigal  of  strength  and  ease. 

May  India's  sun  pour  benedictions  down, 
And  those  parched  sands,  beyond  the  pagan  seas, 

Yield  jewels  bright  to  deck  thy  fadeless  crown  ! 

Thy  virgin  soul  would  give  a  nation  birth  ; 

Thy  glowing  lips  shall  echo  mercy's  cry  ; 
A  myriad  prayers  escort  thee  round  the  earth. 

And  myriad  welcomes  wait  thee  in  tlxe  sky. 


74     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


FANNIE  J.  SPARKES. 

r;^ ANNIE  J.  SPARKES  was  the  third  person 
who  responded  to  the  call  of  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  She  went  out  the  year  following  its 
organization,  and  was  the  first  representative  of  the 
New  York  Branch.  She  was  born  near  the  city  of 
Binghamton,  New  York,  in  the  year  1844,  and  all 
the  circumstances  of  her  early  life  tended  to  ma- 
ture and  prepare  her  for  her  destined  work. 

Her  father  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  city  of  Binghamton — a  man 
of  unblemished  character  and  strict  integrity,  hav- 
ing the  greatest  reverence  for  God  and  unwavering 
faith  in  his  word.  He  has  devoted  much  of  his 
time  to  Bible  literature,  and  is  the  author  of 
*'  Sparkes'  Historical  Commentary  on  the  Eleventh 
Chapter  of  Daniel,"  and  other  works.  Possessing 
great  mental  vigor,  and  having  a  clear  insight  to 
the  spirit  and  tendencies  of  the  times,  he  is  always 
on  the  alert,  watching  the  changes  in  the  nations 
and  calculating  their  influence  upon  the  progress 
and  destiny  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  which,  with 
him,  is  the  all-important  element  in  the  history  of 
the  race.  At  nearly  seventy  years  of  age,  after  a 
life  of  unceasing  industry,  he  is  calmly  awaiting  the 
summons  of  his.Lord. 


Fannia  J.    Sparkes. 


Fannie  J.  Sparkes.  77 

Her  mother  is  also  possessed  of  rare  intelligence, 
heroic  faith,  and  indefatigable  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
Christ.  Her  love  for  her  children  is  only  surpassed 
by  her  supreme  love  to  God,  to  whom  she  conse- 
crated them  in  their  early  infancy. 

Surrounded  with  such  influences,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  Miss  Sparkes  early  developed  traits  of 
character  which,  to  those  who  knew  her  most  inti- 
mately, seemed  to  promise  a  life  of  honor  and  use- 
fulness. Patient,  courageous,  steady  of  purpose, 
untiring  in  effort,  cheerful  and  buoyant  in  spirit, 
self-forgetting,  yet  always  self-possessed,  she  found 
her  greatest  joy  in  blessing  others,  and  her  life  was 
a  verification  of  the  sentiment 

"  All  worldly  joys  go  less 
To  the  one  joy  of  doing  kindnesses." 

Her  early  education  was  received  in  the  schools  of 
her  native  city,  and  she  afterward  pursued  her 
studies  with  private  teachers,  receiving  from  them 
instruction  in  languages,  music,  drawing,  and  other 
accomplishments.  At  a  very  early  age  she  com- 
menced teaching,  and  for  several  years  before  going 
to  India  was  principal  of  one  of  the  largest  graded 
schools  in  the  city.  She  early  evinced  great  thirst 
for  knowledge,  and  gave  evidence  of  an  intellect  of 
a  superior  order.  While  teaching  others  she  was 
also  striving,  by  every  means  possible,  to  perfect 
her  own  education  ;  and,  with  an  energy  and  zeal 
seldom  known,  she  devoted  every  spare  moment  to 
the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  particularly  the  study 
of  the  languages.     For  this  she  seemed  to  have  a 


78      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

natural  aptitude,  and  she  received  marked  com- 
mendation from  her  teacher,  who  said,  when  she 
afterward  received  her  appointment  to  India,  "  She 
will  acquire  the  languages  of  the  Orient  without 
difficulty." 

Of  her  religious  experience  she  says  :  "  I  cannot 
remember  the  time  when  I  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
occasionally,  at  least,  going  alone  for  prayer,  even 
when  I  did  not  really  desire  to  love  God ;  but  I 
could  never  bring  myself  to  speak  of  these  things  to 
any  one.  When  about  eleven  years  of  age,  during 
a  revival  in  the  old  Henry-street  Church,  Bingham- 
ton,  New  York,  I  became  so  deeply  convicted  for 
sin  that  for  several  nights  I  could  not  sleep.  All 
that  kept  me  from  yielding  to  my  convictions  was 
the  fear  that  because  I  was  so  young  some  might 
think  I  did  not  understand  what  I  was  doing,  and 
started  merely  because  others  did.  When  I  did 
finally  decide  to  seek  salvation  I  commenced  the 
work  most  earnestly,  and  gave  myself  to  Christ  the 
best  I  knew  how.  I  sought  for  weeks,  but  did  not 
receive  the  assurance  of  my  acceptance  that  I  de- 
sired. I  did  not  understand  the  simple  way  of 
faith.  I  had  an  erroneous  though  vague  idea  of  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit,  and  was  looking  for  some 
wonderful  instantaneous  change  to  be  wrought  in 
my  heart ;  and  although  I  felt  that  I  loved  the 
Saviour  and  desired  above  every  thing  else  to  please 
him,  I  dared  not  say  I  was  really  a  Christian.  Soon 
after  this  I  united  with  the  Church,  in  accordance 
with  the  advice  of  my  parents,  pastor,  and  class- 
leader." 


Fayinie  J.  Sparkes.  79 

During  the  years  that  followed  she  was  regarded 
by  the  Church  as  one  of  her  most  useful  and  exem- 
plary members.  She  was  faithful  in  her  attendance 
upon  the  prayer  and  class-meetings,  active  in  the 
Sabbath-school  and  all  Church  work,  so  much  so, 
that  when  the  call  came  for  her  to  go  to  India  the 
step  was  strongly  opposed  by  many  of  her  friends, 
who  said  she  was  doing  as  much  and  effective  work 
here  as  she  possibly  could  in  a  foreign  field. 

"  Notwithstanding,"  she  says,  "  I  scarcely  ever 
had  the  courage  to  profess  myself  a  Christian  un- 
qualifiedly, because  I  could  not  tell  just  the  time  of 
my  conversion.  This  was  always  a  source  of  great 
temptation  to  me." 

In  the  year  1869  she  attended  a  camp-meeting  at 
Spencer,  New  York.  Here,  after  many  struggles 
and  heart-searchings,  she  entered  into  the  sweet 
rest  of  faith,  and  received  the  clear  witness  of  her 
acceptance  with  God.  Before  this  she  writes  of 
having  enjoyed  communion  with  Christ,  and  of 
having  received  many  remarkable  answers  to  prayer. 
But  now  her  joy  was  not  interrupted  by  doubts  and 
fears.  Her  peace  was  constant.  She  says  :  "  I  felt 
so  thankful  for  rest  after  so  many  years  of  strug- 
gling that  I  thought  it  pleasure  to  do  any  thing  for 
Christ.  One  evening,  while  engaged  in  secret  prayer, 
the  question  was  suggested,  *  Will  you  go  to  India, 
alone,  as  a  missionary  for  Jesus?'  Then  followed 
intense  anxiety. 

*'  The  question  I  had  to  settle  that  evening  was. 
If  God  calls  me  to  India,  can  I  refuse  to  go  and  still 
be  his  child  ?     As  a  child  I  had  for  years  cherished 


8c      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

the  hope  of  some  day  being  permitted  to  carry  the 
Gospel  to  heathen  shores,  but  had  long  since  given 
up  the  idea  of  ever  being  counted  worthy  :  and  now 
I  found  my  heart  so  interested  in  other  things,  the 
sacrifice  seemed  greater  than  I  could  make.  I 
struggled,  yea,  almost  agonized  in  prayer,  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  pleading  with  God  that 
he  would  not  require  this  of  me.  The  cry  of  my 
soul  was,  *  If  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from 
me,'  and  I  tried  to  say,  *  Nevertheless,  not  my  will 
but  THINE  be  done.'  Finally  I  was  enabled  to  fully 
surrender  myself  to  God  for  this  work,  if  needed." 

Soon  after  this,  in  a  conversation  with  the  late 
Rev.  C.  W.  Judd,  (returned  missionary,)  he  told  her 
he  had  been  praying  to  God  to  direct  him  to  some 
young  lady  for  India,  and  he  believed  God  was  call- 
ing her  to  that  work.  This,  in  connection  with  the 
same  opinion  expressed  by  her  pastor  and  presiding 
elder.  Rev.  H.  R.  Clarke,  of  Wyoming  Conference, 
asking  her  to  prayerfully  consider  the  matter,  and 
a  letter  from  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
New  York  Branch,  asking  her  to  offer  herself  for 
India,  led  her  to  believe  that  God  himself  was  open- 
ing the  way. 

"  The  real  call  I  can  never  tell  to  any  one  ;  it  was 
the  voice  of  God  speaking  tenderly,  yet  command- 
ingly,  oft  times  and  in  oft-repeated  tones  to  my  in- 
most soul,  and  with  such  conviction  and  assurance 
as  left  no  room  for  doubt  or  hesitation.  I  knew 
with  all  the  certainty  that  I  then  knew  I  was  his 
child,  that  God  was  leading  me,  and  I  dared  not 
refuse  to  follow." 


Fannie  J.  Sparkes.  Si 

One  thing  that  made  the  trial  more  severe  was 
the  fact  that  her  parents,  who  loved  her  tenderly, 
and  to  whom  she  clung  with  all  the  affection  of  her 
young  heart,  could  not  feel  that  it  was  her  duty  to 
go.  It  was  so  early  in  the  history  of  the  Society, 
and  Fannie  was  the  first  to  go  alone,  (without  any 

0  her  single  lady  as  companion.)  They  feared  she 
was  not  physically  strong  enough  for  such  an  un- 
dertaking, and  they  regarded  it  as  mistaken  zeal. 
To  them  it  was  a  terrible  sacrifice,  and  they  parted 
with  her  never  expecting  to  see  her  again  in  this  life. 

Referring  to  this,  she  says  :  **  You  know  some- 
thing of  the  trying  circumstances  under  which  I 
went,  and  that  neither  of  my  dear  parents,  not- 
withstanding they  were  most  devoted  Christians, 
could  believe  it  my  duty  to  go  to  India  alone.  I 
could  never  speak,  not  even  to  you,  of  the  experi- 
ences of  those  days  ;  they  were  to  me  days  of  most 
intense  suffering,  yet  God  enabled  me,  in  a  wonder- 
ful manner,  to  keep  outwardly  calm  and  cheerful. 

1  knew  my  suffering,  keen  as  it  was,  was  less  than 
that  of  my  friends  ;  for  it  is  easier  to  go  to  a  field 
of  strife  than  see  a  loved  one  go  ;  but  the  hardest 
part  of  my  trial  was,  that  I  was  causing  those  I  so 
loved  such  sorrow,  and  yet  I  could  not  do  other- 
wise. At  times  my  whole  soul  went  out  to  God  in 
an  agonized  cry  that  he  would  suffer  me  to  stay,  at 
least  until  my  friends  consented  to  my  going.  I 
tried  to  believe  that  if  God  opened  the  way  these 
obstacles  would  be  removed  ;  but  the  answer  was 
always  the  same,  '  This  is  my  call ;  leave  all  and 
follow  me.'     God  also  gave  me  the  assurance,  in  an- 


82      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN    MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

swer  to  prayer,  that  if  I  would  obediently  commit 
all  into  his  care  I  should  live  to  know  that  my  par- 
ents both  thought  I  was  in  the  path  of  duty  and 
would  rejoice  with  me  in  all  the  way  in  which  God 
had  led  me.  That  promise  has  been  verified,  as  has 
been  many  others  given  me  at  that  time." 

A  farewell  meeting  of  great  interest  was  held  in 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J.  It  was  called  by 
Mrs.  Dr.  Crane,  wife  of  Rev.  J.  T.  Crane,  D.D.,  and 
niece  of  Bishop  Peck,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  meetings  ever  held  in  the  interests  of 
the  Society.  Upward  of  two  thousand  persons 
were  in  attendance  ;  hundreds  left,  unable  to  gain 
admittance. 

September  20,  1870,  a  similar  meeting  was  held 
in  St.  Paul's  Church,  New  York. 

Mrs.  Dr.  Butler  gave  a  thrilling  account  of  the 
death  of  Miss  Boist,  the  first  Methodist  martyr  in 
India,  and  of  her  burial  under  the  rose-trees  in  her 
garden.  The  appeal  in  behalf  of  the  women  of  In- 
dia was  emphasized  by  the  presence  of  a  Hindoo- 
stanee  woman,  who  came  to  this  country  as  nurse  to 
the  lamented  Mrs.  Waugh's  children,  and  who  was 
about  to  return  to  her  native  land.  She  was  dressed 
for  the  occasion  in  the  silks  and  ornaments  of  a  high 
caste  Hindoo  lady,  and  her  dusky  brow  was  bent 
and  her  dark  eyes  cast  down  as  she  was  introduced 
to  the  congregation.  Mrs.  Butler  asked  for  her  the 
earnest  prayers  of  all  present,  that  she  might  find 
the  light  she  was  seeking. 

Miss  Sparkes  made  a  few  remarks,  and,  as  she 
was  about  to  take  her  seat,  Mrs.  Dr.  Olin,  who  pre- 


Fannie  J.  Sparkes.  83 

sided  at  the  meeting,  presented  her  a  basket  of 
flowers  given  by  the  ladies  of  St,  Paul's  Church, 
saying  that  the  perfume  of  the  flowers  would  soon 
pass  away,  but  the  fragrance  of  their  good  wishes 
would  be  wafted  over  the  ocean  to  her  Indian  home, 
and  the  incense  of  their  prayers  would  continually 
ascend  in  her  behalf. 

Many  friends  were  at  the  steamer  the  next  day 
to  bid  good-bye  to  the  departing  missionaries.  Dr. 
Durbin  was  there,  and  Mrs.  Doremus,  the  President 
of  the  Union  Woman's  Missionary  Society,  and 
many  others  who  have  since  gone  up  to  join  the 
ranks  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven. 

The  group  was  a  striking  one  as  the  vessel  slowly 
left  her  moorings.  Leaning  against  the  rigging, 
the  central  figure  was  the  Hindoostanee  women,  of 
low  stature,  with  her  dark  face  well  set  off"  in  the 
frame  of  her  white  veil.  Behind  her  stood  Mr. 
M'Mahon,  and  on  either  side  Mrs.  M'Mahon  and 
Miss  Sparkes.  At  a  little  distance  stood  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Parker  and  Mr,  Buck ;  and  so  the  good  ship 
passed  out  of  sight,  amid  tearful  eyes  and  the  wav- 
ing of  white  tokens  and  the  ascending  of  invisible 
prayers. 

After  a  pleasant  voyage  she  reached  India,  and 
stopped  for  a  short  time  in  Bombay,  awaiting  the 
coming  Conference,  which  was  to  convene  in  Janu- 
ary, 1 87 1.  Of  her  first  impressions  she  writes  :  **  I 
remember  how  great  the  difference  seemed  to  me 
between  heathenism  and  Christianity  when  I  first 
reached  India. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  our  first  landing  at  Bombay, 


84       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

and  the  great  moving  mass  about  us.  The  streets 
seemed  Hterally  full  of  life ;  not  the  beauty  and  ac- 
tivity we  usually  associate  with  that  word  here,  it 
was  simply  human  motion,  living  misery,  wretched- 
ness, shamelessness,  darkness. 

"  The  city  was  as  beautiful  as  magnificent  buildings 
and  wealth  of  foliage  and  flowers  could  make  it,  but 
the  sights  seen  there  were  so  different  from  those 
witnessed  in  Christian  lands.  Just  at  sunset  I  rode 
out  in  company  with  Mrs.  Harding,  of  the  American 
Board  of  Missions.  When  we  had  gone  about  half 
a  mile  out  of  the  city  we  saw  on  our  right  hand  the 
Mohammedan  burial-ground  ;  it  was  full  of  gay  fan- 
tastically-shaped tombs,  around  which  incense-lights 
were  burning,  and  worshipers  were  bowing,  offering 
sacrifices  and  prayers.  Just  across,  on  the  left,  lay 
the  Hindu  burning  g/iat,  and  from  the  smoke  and 
flames  arising  from  numerous  funeral  pyres  we  knew 
the  bodies  of  the  dead  were  burning ;  we  had  other 
reasons,  too,  for  knowing  it,  for  we  were  near  enough 
to  see  with  our  own  eyes  the  smoldering  bodies, 
and  to  hear  the  prayers  chanted  by  the  nearest  rel- 
atives, as  they  sat  feeding  the  flames.  Just  above 
us,  at  the  right,  stretched  the  Malabar  Hills,  and  we 
could  plainly  see  on  one  of  them  what  is  called  the 
Silent  Tower,  or  great  rocks,  on  which  the  Parsees 
leave  their  dead  uncovered  and  uncared  for.  Round 
about  us,  on  every  side,  were  Parsees  bowing  in 
worship  of  the  setting  sun,  (for  they  are  fire-wor- 
shipers,) Mohammedans  prostrating  themselves  with 
their  faces  toward  their  pilgrim  city,  Mecca,  and 
Hindus  crowding  and  pushing  each  other  in  their 


Fannie  jf.  Sparkes.  85 

eager  haste  to  reach  their  heathen  temples  at  the 
ringing  of  the  bell.  The  people  seemed  so  far  away 
from  God,  I  wondered  how  they  could  be  brought 
nigh.  It  seemed  to  me  the  little  light  a  few  Chris- 
tians could  hope  to  shed  amid  such  great  darkness, 
would  be  as  a  drop  of  water  cast  into  the  mighty 
ocean.  I  knew  that  the  little  light,  like  the  oil  which 
would  not  mix  with  the  water,  but,  borne  along 
on  the  waves,  became  lost  in  them,  would  remain 
clear  and  steadfast,  but  I  feared  it  would  be  hardly 
perceptible  amid  the  great  darkness,  and,  for  a  little 
while,  I  thought  we  may  as  well  go  home,  until  I 
remembered  the  promise,  '  I  shall  give  thee  the 
heathen  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession,'  and  the 
blessed  words,  '  Fear  not,  I  will  help  thee.' 

"As  we  returned  the  bell  was  just  ringing  for 
evening  devotions.  The  servants  and  members  of 
the  mission-school  near  took  their  places  with  the 
members  of  the  family,  and  listened  attentively 
while  a  portion  of  God's  word  was  read  and  a  fervent 
prayer  offered,  and  all  the  time  voices  of  praise  came 
floating  in  through  the  open  windows  from  the 
homes  of  the  native  Christians  living  near,  and  I 
thought,  already  the  promise  is  beginning  to  be 
verified. 

"  In  the  morning,  which  was  Sabbath,  we  were 
permitted  to  worship  with  the  company  of  native 
Christians  assembled  in  the  chapel  near  by.  It  was 
only  a  handful,  you  would  think,  but  I  thought  I 
could  realize  something  of  the  terrible  darkness 
from  which  they  had  been  brought  into  God's  mar- 


86      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

velous  light ;  and  as  they  sang  in  their  own  Ian- 
guage  to  our  familiar  tune, 

*  The  morning  light  is  breaking, 
The  darkness  disappears  ; ' 

our  hearts  echoed  the  sentiment,  and  we  felt  strong 
.and  eager  for  the  work." 

At  the  Conference  Miss  Sparkes  received  her  ap- 
pointment to  the  Girls'  Orphanage,  in  Bareilly,  as 
teacher.  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  being  at  the  time  super- 
intendent. The  following  year  she  was  herself  ap- 
pointed superintendent  of  that  institution. 

Rev.  C.  W.  Judd  says  of  Miss  Sparkes:  "From 
her  first  entering  upon  the  foreign  work,  particular- 
ly the  charge  of  the  Girls'  Orphanage,  in  Bareilly, 
she  has  shown  that  she  was  eminently  qualified  for 
that  work,  even  more  so  than  we  expected  ;  for  she 
not  only  took  charge  of  the  educational  department, 
but  of  the  financial  also,  which  included  the  pur- 
chase and  preparation  of  food  and  clothing  for 
nearly  two  hundred  girls,  besides  the  general  super- 
intendence of  the  buildings  and  grounds  of  the  in- 
stitution. Sister  Fannie  managed  all  this  greatly 
to  our  satisfaction  and  the  success  of  the  Orphanage. 
An  evidence  of  this  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  she  was 
appointed  to  the  same  work  on  her  return  to  India 
the  second  time,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  two 
years.  I  might  say  much  in  commendation  of  her 
marked  devotion  to  the  mission,  and  her  unselfish- 
ness in  always  taking  upon  herself  the  most  difficult 
and  unpleasant  part  of  any  work  in  which  others 
were  engaged  with  her,  but  I  will  only  add  that  she 


Fannie  J.  Sparkes.  87 

has  shown  herself  to  be  a  true,  devoted,  unselfish 
worker  in  the  foreign  field." 

At  the  close  of  an  anniversary  address,  delivered 
before  the  Central  Pennsylvania  Conference,  in  Will- 
iamsport,  the  late  Rev.  J.  D.  Brown,  returned  mis- 
sionary, arose  and  begged  leave  to  make  a  few  re- 
marks. He  said,  "  Miss  Sparkes  has  been  spoken 
of  as  having  charge  of  the  Orphanage,  in  Bareilly, 
but  that  does  not  half  express  it.  'I  want  to  say 
that  she  is  doing  a  grand  and  glorious  work  there ; 
and  is  one  of  the  most  successful  and  effective  mis- 
sionaries in  the  field.  She  is  doing  the  work  of  a 
male  missionary,  filling  the  place  before  occupied 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  and  Rev.  Mr.  Judd,  and 
has  been  saving  to  the  parent  Society  yearly  $1,200 
and  a  parsonage."  He  paid  a  tender  and  beautiful 
tribute  to  the  noble  and  self-sacrificing  women  in 
India,  who  were  laboring  so  devotedly  for  the  re- 
demption of  their  heathen  sisters,  and  closed  by 
commending  the  Society  to  the  sympathy  and  sup- 
port of  the  entire  Church. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1875  Mrs.  Skidmore, 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  New  York  Branch, 
records,  "  Miss  Sparkes  has  given  five  years  of  con- 
stant labor  to  the  Girls'  Orphanage  in  Bareilly. 
Reports  of  her  v/ork,  together  with  letters  received 
by  patrons  from  the  orphans,  sixty  in  number,  sup- 
ported by  this  Branch,  give  satisfactory  evidence 
that  Miss  Sparkes'  ability  in  this  department  is  un- 
surpassed." 

As  a  consequence  of  this  severe  tax  upon  her 

body  and  mind  she  felt  greatly  the  need  of  a  change, 
6 


88      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

and  sought  it  by  a  journey,  in  the  spring  of  1874,  to 
Paori,  a  Httle  place  in  the  heart  of  the  Himalayas, 
and  the  extreme  limit  of  the  Conference  appoint- 
ments. She  was  accompanied  by  Miss  Blackmar, 
who  joined  her  at  Moradabad,  a  distance  of  seventy 
miles  from  Bareilly.  The  long  and  difficult  journey 
in  conveyances  peculiar  to  the  country  is  graphic- 
ally described  by  Miss  Sparkes  in  one  of  her  letters 
to  the  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,"  published  No- 
vember, 1874.  After  a  short  sojourn  in  Paori  she 
returned  to  her  work  in  Bareilly,  and  continued  at 
the  Orphanage  for  nearly  three  years  longer.  But 
she  became  so  worn  with  her  labors  and  the  debil- 
itating effect  of  the  climate,  that  she  was  obliged  to 
seek  absolute  rest  and  change  in  her  own  native 
land.  She  sailed  from  Bombay,  February  i,  1877, 
in  company  with  Miss  Pultz,  who  also  had  done 
faithful  service  in  India  for  nearly  five  years,  and 
was  returning  in  quest  of  health,  leaving  the  Or- 
phanage in  charge  of  Miss  Cary. 

Arriving  at  her  home  in  Binghamton,  after  the 
first  greetings  her  father  said,  "  Let  us  all  sing, 
'  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow.'  " 
Rev.  H.  Wheeler,  her  brother-in-law,  commenced 
singing,  and  the  whole  family  joined  with  glad 
hearts  and  moist  eyes  in  singing  this  doxology  of 
praise.  She  was  most  enthusiastically  greeted  by 
the  Church  and  Sabbath-school.  The  following 
Sabbath  the  church  was  beautifully  decorated  with 
evergreens  and  flowers.  In  the  rear  of  the  desk 
were  the  words  WELCOME  HOME  !  in  illuminated 
letters.     **  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name  "  was 


Fannie  J.  Sparkes.  89 

sung,  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  was  read,  after  which 
the  school  sang  "  Come,  let  us  be  joyful  to-day." 
Addresses  were  made  by  the  clergy  and  Sabbath- 
school  superintendents.  Miss  Sparkes  spoke  briefly, 
and  closed  by  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  Hin- 
doostanee. 

While  at  home  she  exerted  a  wide-spread  influ- 
ence upon  the  home-workers  and  Societies,  sparing 
neither  time  nor  labor  in  answering  the  numerous 
calls  that  came  for  addresses  in  the  interest  of  the 
Society.  She  was  fresh  from  the  field  where  she 
had  been  laboring  for  seven  years,  and  could  speak 
from  personal  experience  and  observation, 

A  friend  of  the  Society  writes  :  "  Miss  Sparkes  is 
a  lady  of  fine  presence  and  rare  culture.  She  went 
from  city  to  city,  from  camp-meeting  to  camp- 
meeting,  from  Conference  to  Conference,  and  by 
her  earnest  and  eloquent  appeals  awakened  intense 
interest  in  the  work  of  the  Society,  and  was  the 
means  of  obtaining  a  large  increase  in  its  cash  re- 
ceipts. She  has  created  and  established  a  bond  of 
union  and  interest  between  the  Church  at  home  and 
the  Church  in  India  which  can  never  be  broken, 
and  which  will  be  fruitful  of  earnest  prayer  for  her 
safety  and  success.  It  is  probable  that  the  eighteen 
months  spent  at  home  was  as  fruitful  of  good  as 
the  same  time  could  have  been  in  India." 

At  the  anniversary  of  the  Round  Lake  Auxiliary, 
held  August  2,  1878,  Miss  Sparkes  spoke.  The 
Holy  Spirit  was  present  in  a  wonderful  manner. 
At  the  close  of  the  addresses  a  lady  sent  up  a  note 
pledging  herself  to  pay  $600  the  next  year  for  Miss 


90      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

Sparkes'  salary.  A  traveling  drinking-cup  was  sent 
up  with  a  note  saying  it  was  from  a  poor  man  who 
wanted  to  do  something  for  the  cause,  but  had  no 
money.  The  cup  was  sold  to  the  highest  bidder, 
the  money  put  into  the  treasury,  and  the  cup  given 
to  Miss  Sparkes.  The  tide  of  enthusiasm  rose 
high,  and  in  all  about  $1,050  was  received  as  the 
result  of  the  meeting. 

Miss  Sparkes  addressed  more  than  one  hundred 
missionary  meetings  during  the  last  year  spent  at 
home,  and  four  public  meetings  in  her  own  church, 
on  which  occasions  the  church  was  densely  crowded, 
and  hundreds  went  away  for  want  of  room.  It  is 
only  just  to  add  that  this  part  of  missionary  work 
was  entirely  unexpected  to  her ;  and  when  first 
asked  to  represent  the  cause  in  a  public  meeting  her 
whole  soul  shrank  from  it,  and  it  was  only  after  many 
prayers  and  heart  struggles,  and  a  strong  conviction 
of  duty,  that  she  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  the 
home-workers,  regarding  the  call  of  the  Church  as 
the  voice  of  God. 

After  spending  about  a  year  and  a  half  in  Amer- 
ica, and  regaining  in  some  measure  her  health  and 
strength,  she  resolved  to  return  to  her  chosen  field 
of  labor. 

A  farewell  meeting  of  great  interest  was  held  in 
her  native  city.  The  last  meeting  in  which  Miss 
Sparkes  participated  was  in  Central  Church,  New 
York,  November  7,  1878,  just  before  sailing.  After 
addresses  by  Bishop  Andrews  and  others.  Dr.  J.  P. 
Newman,  pastor  of  the  Church,  arose  and  said  : 
"  On  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  is  a  quiet  Chris- 


.  Fannie  J.  Sparkes.  91 

tian  home,  where  competency  waits  on  honest  in- 
dustry, where  the  Bible  spreads  its  banquet  of  wis- 
dom and  love,  and  where  prayer  bears  on  high  the 
desires  and  gratitude  of  the  heart.  Within  that 
tranquil  home  is  a  venerable  father,  of  sturdy  piety 
and  heroic  faith,  whose  robust  intellect  and  large 
culture,  whose  familiarity  with  the  sacred  prophe- 
cies and  acquaintance  with  great  authors,  dead  and 
living,  have  enabled  him  to  give  to  the  Church  and 
the  world  a  rare  book  on  the  *  Origin  and  Fall  of 
the  Turkish  Empire,'  as  foretold  in  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  Daniel  and  in  the  other  parts  of  the 
prophetical  Scriptures,  and  which  book  should  be  in 
the  hand  of  every  pastor  in  the  land  who  desires 
light  on  the  Eastern  question,  which  now  occupies 
so  much  of  public  attention.  And  within  the  sanc- 
tities of  that  dear  home  is  a  Christian  mother,  in- 
telligent, restful,  and  devout,  who  has  reared  her 
sons  and  daughters  for  God  and  his  Church,  and 
who  has  taught  them  to  add  new  charms  to  the 
family  circle  by  their  mutual  and  reciprocal  love. 
That  home  is  a  typical  Church — it  is  a  type  of 
heaven.  % 

"  Forth  from  that  home  on  the  banks  of  the  flow- 
ing river  comes  one  who  is  among  the  brightest  and 
best  of  the  sisterhood  of  the  Church  ;  whose  beau- 
tiful character,  cultured  mind,  and  devout  spirit 
would  make  her  a  delight  in  the  highest  circles  of 
society ;  whose  love  for  Christ  and  for  those  ready 
to  perish  is  stronger  than  life  itself.  On  the  part 
of  her  revered  parents  Fannie  J.  Sparkes  is  their  im- 
mense sacrifice  placed  on  the  missionary  altar :  but 


92       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

on  her  own  part  she  is  a  free-will  offering  to  the 
Lord.  In  the  presence  of  such  a  sublime  fact  let 
us  never  mention  our  missionary  gifts  as  sacrifices. 
When  compared  to  it  they  are  as  nothing.  It  was 
my  happiness,  in  the  winter  of  1874,  to  visit  Bareil- 
ly,  where  I  found  Miss  Sparkes  surrounded  with 
one  hundred  Hindu  girls,  whose  young  womanhood 
had  been  consecrated  to  Christ.  To  those  who 
pray  for  her  speedy  return  she  goes  with  a  dry  eye 
and  a  glad  heart.  On  Saturday  next  she  sails  for 
her  home  in  India  ;  but  ere  she  leaves  us  she  will 
speak  a  few  words  to  cheer  our  hearts.  It  is  my 
great  pleasure  to  present  to  you  Miss  Fannie  J. 
Sparkes." 

In  fitting  words  she  took  her  farewell  of  the  au- 
dience. "  Saying  good-bye  is  not  all  sacrifice,"  she 
said.  "  There  is  so  much  of  joy  in  the  thought  of 
carrying  the  light  of  life  to  heathen  women,  that 
had  I  a  thousand  lives  I  would  gladly  lay  them  all 
upon  the  altar  of  this  service." 

Miss  Sparkes  reached-India  about  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, in  time  for  the  Conference,  and  was  reap- 
pointed to  superintend  the  Orphanage  in  Bareilly. 
We  leave  her  to  pursue  her  work  under  the  guid- 
ance of  that  Providence  that  has  been  her  protection 
amid  the  dangers  of  sea  and  land,  and  with  the 
divine  promise  as  her  best  heritage,  "  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway." 


Ex  endive  Committee — Secottd  Meeting.        93 


SECOND  ANNUAL  MEETING  OF  THE  GEN- 
ERAL EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

''T^HE  Second  Meeting  of  the  General  Executive 
•A-  Committee  was  held  in  Chicago,  May  16,  1871. 
Delegates  from  the  six  Branches  were  in  attendance. 
Reports  showed  that  the  interest  and  zeal  of  the 
ladies  were  unabated,  and  the  work  was  enlarging 
and  spreading  itself  out  in  all  directions. 

The  Ladies'  China  Missionary  Society,  of  Balti- 
more, which  had  been  in  the  same  kind  of  work  for 
twenty-three  years,  at  their  anniversary,  March  6, 
1 87 1,  passed  a  resolution  of  co-operation  with  the 
new  Society,  and  on  the  loth  of  the  same  month  or- 
ganized the  Baltimore  Branch.  During  this  meeting 
of  the  Committee  they  were  taken  into  the  Society, 
with  their  assets,  "  comprising  the  support  of  the 
Boarding-school  at  Foochow,  and  of  the  Misses 
Woolston,  who  had  been  teachers  therein  for  twelve 
years." 

Misses  Mary  Q.  Porter  and  Maria  Brown  were 
also  appointed  missionaries  to  Peking,  China ;  and 
Misses  Carrie  M'Millan  and  Jennie  Tinsley  were  ap- 
pointed missionaries  to  India. 


94     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


BEULAH  AND  SARAH  H.  WOOLSTON. 

HIGH  up  on  the  shining  list  of  brave  and  con- 
secrated spirits,  who  cheerfully  laid  on  the 
altar  of  Christ  their  youth,  culture,  and  talents, 
willingly  sacrificing  ease,  comfort,  health,  country, 
friends,  and  all,  for  the  sake  of  rescuing  those  who 
were  ready  to  perish,  are  the  names  of  Beulah  and 
Sarah  H.  Woolston. 

In  the  year  1858  the  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  importance  of  reaching  and  educating  the 
female  population  of  China,  in  order  to  establish 
the  principles  of  Christianity  among  its  inhabitants, 
sent  the  two  sisters  Woolston  to  labor  among  the 
women  and  children  of  that  land. 

Their  home  was  in  Trenton,  New  Jersey.  They 
were  well  educated,  being  graduates  of  the  Wesley- 
an  College,  Wilmington,  Delaware.  "  For  several 
years  these  sisters  had  cherished  a  strong  desire  to 
work  for  Christ  in  a  foreign  field,  but  when  they 
announced  themselves  ready  to  respond  to  the  call 
from  China,  their  friends  were  astonished,  and  no 
wonder.  China  was  farther  removed  from  us  then 
than  it  is  to-day.  There  was  no  Pacific  railroad  to 
reduce  the  months  of  sea  voyage  to  only  a  few  days ; 
no  telegraph  to  cheer  the  exiled  ones  with  messages 
from  their  native  land.     And  here  were  two  young 


Beulah  and  Sarah  H.  Woohton,  95 

ladies  exchanging  cultivated  society  and  bright 
prospects  in  a  Christian  land  for  pioneer  work  in 
a  land  of  which  but  little  was  known,  and  that 
little  enshrouded  in  uncertainty. 

"  They  went  in  the  dewy  morn  of  youth — the 
'time  of  promise,  hope  and  innocence,  of  trust  and 
love ' — when  their  hearts  were  glowing  with  vital 
ardor,  and  when  the  joys  of  earth  seemed  most  in- 
viting; but  they  cheerfully  relinquished  every  fond 
ambition,  every  dream  of  worldly  ease  or  pleasure, 
and  went  forth  to  proclaim  the  tidings  of  salvation 
to  the  benighted  women  of  China." 

We  remember  how  the  Church  at  home  was 
thrilled  at  the  announcement  of  their  appointment, 
and  how  she  sang, 

"  March  on  !  brave  youths,  the  field  of  strife 

With  peril  fraught  before  you  lies; 
March  on  !  the  battle-plain  of  life 

Shall  yield  you  yet  a  glorious  prize. 
Unfurl  your  banner  to  the  breeze, 

Emblazon  truth  on  every  fold. 
And,  nobly  shunning  selfish  ease. 

Tread  down  the  wrong,  the  right  uphold." 

Miss  Isabel  Hart,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Baltimore  Branch  of  our  Society,  says  in  a  private 
letter :  "  Probably  no  two  persons  ever  shrank  more 
from  publicity  or  observation,  but  *  their  works 
praise  them  in  the  gates.'  Let  them  eat  of  the 
fruit  of  their  hands.  We  must  remember  they 
were  the  pioneers  in  the  work  when  it  was  a  most 
unpromising  experiment — when  a  passage  to  China 
meant   several   months  in   a  sailing  vessel,   when 


96       WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

transit  and  tidings  were  not  easy  and  rapid  as  now, 
when  they  were  not  sustained  by  the  organized 
efforts  and  overflowing  sympathy  of  more  than  fifty 
thousand  women.  Plain,  practical,  quiet  women — 
all  honor  to  them !  They  remind  me  of  what  Charles 
Dickens  said  of  some  one  doing  all  the  good  he 
could  and  making  no  fuss  about  it.  Faithfulness, 
persistency,  practicalness,  I  should  regard  their  es- 
sential traits.  They  have  stood  at  their  post  to 
this  day,  and  never  dream  of  deserting  it.  It  is  their 
life-work,  calmly  and  soberly  undertaken.  They  do 
not  seem  impatient  of  results,  but  do  their  duty  and 
trust  in  God.  They  have  learned  to  labor  and  to 
wait." 

These  ladies  sailed  from  New  York,  October  14, 
1858.  There  were  on  board  of  the  same  vessel  other 
missionaries:  Rev.  S.  L.  Baldwin  and  wife,  and  Miss 
Phebe  Potter,  who  were  also  going  out  to  re-enforce 
this  mission.  The  reader  will  pardon  us  if  we  stop 
to  pay  a  passing  tribute  to  one  of  the  passengers  on 
that  voyage — the  beautiful,  the  cultured,  the  gifted 
Nellie  Gorham  Baldwin,  a  personal  friend  of  the 
writer.  We  stood  by  her  side  as  she  gave  her  last 
testimony  for  Christ  in  her  native  land.  She  said, 
"  I  do  not  regret  the  step  I  have  taken.  I  go  cheer- 
fully, fully  determined  to  do  all  the  good  I  can,  be- 
lieving that  God  will  go  with  me,  and  that  the 
prayers  of  these  dear  Christian  friends  will  follow 
me  across  the  waters  to  my  far-away  home."  The 
last  time  the  entire  family  knelt  around  the  altar 
was  a  season  of  painful  interest;  rising  from  her 
knees,  she  seated  herself  at  the  piano  and  played 


Bciilah  and  Sarah  H.  Woolston.  97 

"The  Missionary's  Farewell."  With  a  clear  voice 
she  sung, 

"  Yes,  my  native  land,  I  love  thee  ! 
All  thy  scenes  I  love  them  well ; 
Friends,  connections,  happy  country, 
Can  I  bid  you  all  farewell  ? 

Can  I  leave  you. 
Far  in  heathen  lands  to  dwell?" 

When  she  finished  the  hymn  her  eyes  alone  were 
tearless.  She  was  then  but  nineteen  years  of  age. 
Her  missionary  life  was  short,  but  eventful.  She 
reached  China,  acquired  the  language,  entered  upon 
her  duties  as  a  missionary,  but  the  debilitating  ef- 
fects of  the  climate,  together  with  her  arduous  mis- 
sionary labors  and  the  care  of  an  infant  daughter, 
began  to  wear  upon  her  constitution.  Her  health 
failed.  Physicians  advised  her  to  return  home.  She, 
hoping  to  regain  her  health,  and  anxious  to  continue 
her  missionary  labors,  desired  to  remain  longer.  At 
length  she  sailed  with  her  husband  for  America,  and 
died  at  sea,  March  16,  1861,  on  board  the  ship  Na- 
bob, when  four  days  out  from  New  York.  Her  re- 
mains were  interred  in  the  beautiful  cemetery  in 
Binghamton,  New  York,  near  where  our  own  loved 
ones  lie  sleeping.  The  shadow  of  her  monument 
falls  daily  upon  the  graves  of  our  own  precious  chil- 
dren, and  as  we  visit  the  spot,  and  read  upon  the 
tomb-stone,  "Nellie;  died  at  sea,  aged  21  years," 
and  underneath,  the  simple  but  beautiful  inscrip- 
tion, "  She  hath  done  what  she  could,"  we  think, 
when  our  life's  labor  is  ended,  we  would  sooner  have 
this  truthfully  inscribed  on  our  tomb  than  the  most 
eloquent  eulogy  that  earth  could  pronounce. 


98      WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

The  Misses  Woolston  arrived  in  Foochow  March 
l6,  1859,  having  had  a  sea-voyage,  by  sailing  vessel, 
of  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  days.  It  was  dur- 
ing this  year  that  the  "  Baltimore  Female  Acad- 
emy "  was  founded,  and  it  was  given  into  their 
charge.  In  a  week  or  two  after  their  arrival  they 
had  engaged  a  teacher  and  begun  study  ;  also  a 
cook,  and  commenced  housekeeping,  using  only  the 
Chinese  language  in  communicating  with  either. 
In  the  fall  of  1859  temporary  quarters  were  secured 
for  their  boarding-school. 

One  year  later  they  report  fifteen  girls  as  having 
entered  the  school,  only  eight  of  whom  remained — 
the  oldest  thirteen,  the  youngest  eight  years  old — • 
all  of  them  obedient,  and  quite  contented  to  be 
away  from  their  homes.  Two  of  these  eight,  on 
first  entering  the  school,  were  exceedingly  careless 
and  stupid,  but  have  greatly  improved.  Five  of 
the  girls  are  from  heathen  homes. 

October,  1861,  the  report  says  :  "  During  the  year 
we  have  made  many  efforts  to  induce  the  Chinese  to 
place  their  girls  in  school,  but  with  little  success  be- 
yond promises  for  the  future.  Since  January  two 
who  have  been  with  us  from  the  beginning  have  been 
taken  home.  One  was  stolen  away  by  her  mother, 
who  wished  to  bind  her  feet ;  the  other  was  taken 
under  pretense  of  making  a  visit.  Her  parents, 
after  numberless  excuses  to  continue  her  stay  at 
home,  said  she  should  not  return,  because  she  would 
be  instructed  in  the  Christian  doctrine,  and  would 
then  refuse  to  marry  the  one  to  whom  she  was  be- 
trothed." 


Beulah  and  Sarah  H.  Woolston.  c^c^ 

In  1862  fifteen  girls  are  reported  as  diligent,  obe- 
dient, and  truthful.  "  Most  of  the  larger  ones  un- 
derstand that  the  object  for  which  they  are  admitted 
into  the  school  is,  that  they  may  become  acquainted 
with  Christianity,  and  on  their  return  to  their  homes 
will  be  expected  to  teach  the  same,  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable, to  their  people.  They  already  realize  that 
there  is  great  power  in  prayer,  and  some  of  them 
have  the  habit  of  frequently  retiring  for  private  de- 
votions. The  first  scholar  baptized  is  Hii  Siing 
Eng.  She  was  received  into  the  Church  March  9, 
1862,  since  which  time  she  has  maintained  an  exem- 
plary Christian  deportment,  and  her  influence  over 
the  other  girls  is  most  salutary.  The  school  seems 
to  be  slowly  gaining  the  confidence  of  the  Chinese, 
and  we  hope  to  obtain  in  a  few  years  as  many  pu- 
pils as  we  can  take  charge  of." 

1866,  report  says  :  "  The  term  closed  with  twen- 
ty-seven pupils  ;  eight  are  members  of  the  Church. 
During  the  year  two — having  completed  a  term  of 
five  years  —  returned  to  their  homes.  Both  are 
members  of  the  Church,  but  have  gone  back  to  hea- 
then homes,  where  they  expect  to  receive  no  en- 
couragement in  their  Christian  life,  but,  instead, 
opposition,  and  probably  persecution." 

1867,  report  says :  "  At  the  close  of  the  term  the 
number  of  pupils  was  twenty-eight.  During  the 
year  four  were  dismissed.  Two,  having  finished 
their  term  of  years,  returned  home.  The  school  is 
almost  daily  visited  by  Chinese  women  and  children. 
They  frequently  come  in  companies  of  eight  or  ten  ; 
occasionally  in  crowds  of  twenty  or  thirty.     They 


lOO    WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

are  pleased  to  receive  portions  of  Scripture,  and  are 
attentive  to  the  reading  of  chapters  from  the  Gos- 
pels and  other  books.  On  leaving,  they  are  invited 
to  come  again  and  bring  their  friends  with  them, 
which  many  of  them  do." 

Though  at  first  meeting  with  opposition  on  every 
hand,  the  ideas  and  customs  of  the  people  being 
utterly  opposed  to  the  education  of  women,  they 
toiled  on  heroically,  energetically,  until,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  their  school  was  at  last  established 
on  a  permanent  basis. 

Of  those  who  have  already  graduated  from  this 
school  some  are  the  wives  of  native  preachers,  oth- 
ers are  married  into  heathen  households,  where 
their  influence  may  be  exerted  for  good,  others  are 
teaching  day-schools.  All  are  spreading  the  gos- 
pel news  far  and  wide. 

March  4,  1869,  after  ten  years  of  patient  and  per- 
severing toil,  the  Misses  Woolston  returned  to  the 
United  States  to  recruit  health,  leaving  Mrs.  Sites 
in  charge  of  the  school,  numbering  thirty  three  girls. 

In  December,  1871,  after  nearly  three  years'  ab- 
sence, they  returned  and  resumed  charge  of  the 
school,  now  under  the  auspices  of  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society.  They  were  at  this 
time  transferred  from  the  parent  Society  to  ours. 

The  Misses  Woolston  have  been  among  our  most 
faithful  and  efficient  missionaries,  laboring  on  unre- 
mittingly to  the  close  of  the  first  decade  of  the  So- 
ciety ;  when,  feeling  the  need  of  rest  and  a  change 
of  climate,  they  returned  again  to  America,  Novem- 
ber 25,  1879. 


Mary  Q.  Porter.  lOi 


MARY  Q.  PORTER. 

THE  first  missionary  sent  out  by  the  Western 
Branch  of  the  .Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  was  Miss  Mary  Q.  Porter.  The  Branch  may 
justly  be  proud  of  so  honored  a  name.  Few  have 
given  their  time  and  best  labors  with  such  devoted- 
ness  and  singleness  of  purpose  to  the  cause  of  mis- 
sions, and  few  have  been  so  efficient  and  useful  in  their 
chosen  sphere.  Miss  Porter  was  born  in  Alleghany 
City,  Pennsylvartia,  October  20,  1848.  Her  father 
was  a  man  of  marked  ability  and  sterling  integrity  ; 
her  mother  a  woman  of  rare  intellectual  endow- 
ments, and  a  successful  and  popular  practicing 
physician.  Her  home  and  home  influences  were 
well  calculated  to  develop  in  her  young  heart  the 
spirit  of  purity,  benevolence,  and  heroism. 

Her  education  was  received  in  part  at  home. 
Afterward  she  attended  school  in  Blairsville,  Penn- 
sylvania. In  1858  her  family  returned  to  Pitts- 
burgh, where  she  continued  her  studies.  She  had 
the  reputation  of  being  unusually  bright  and  quick, 
as  well  as  patient  and  persevering  in  acquiring 
knowledge.  In  i860  she  removed  with  her  family 
to  Davenport,  Scott  County,  Iowa.  Here  she  en- 
tered the  high  school,  from  which  she  graduated. 
For  several  years  after  she  was  engaged  in  teaching, 
and  had  charge  of  a  class  in  Latin. 


102     WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

Very  early  in  life  she  gave  her  heart  to  Christ, 
and  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
She  was  zealous  in  winning  souls,  and  active  in  ev- 
ery good  work,  and  was  at  one  time  appointed 
Sabbath-school  superintendent  by  the  unanimous 
vote  of  the  school.  As  her  religious  life  developed 
her  mind  was  strongly  directed  to  the  foreign  mis- 
sionary work.  After  thinking  jiiuch  on  the  subject, 
and  prayerfully  asking  divine  direction  and  guid- 
ance, she  became  thoroughly  convinced  that  it  was 
her  duty  and  privilege  to  consecrate  her  life  to  this 
cause.  It  was  no  halt  or  blind  sacrifice  which  she 
thus  brought  to  the  Lord,  nor  was  it  a  heart  crushed 
with  disappointment  and  blighted  hopes  ;  but  in  all 
the  freshness,  beauty,  and  purity  of  her  young 
womanhood,  with  all  the  promising  possibilities  of 
a  brightly  opening  future,  she  brought  her  most 
precious  gifts  and  laid  them  at  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

Miss  Porter  anticipated  some  objection  on  the 
part  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
on  account  of  being  under  the  age  required  by 
their  rules ;  but  after  an  interview  with  her  the 
ladies  were  so  much  pleased  with  her  personal  ap- 
pearance and  the  high  character  of  her  testimonials 
that  they  determined  to  waive  their  arbitrary  rule, 
and  secure  her  services  at  once.  Her  thoughts  had 
been  directed  to  Egypt  and  India  as  her  future  field 
of  labor ;  but  when  the  ladies  wrote  advising  her  of 
the  urgent  call  to  establish  a  girls'  school  in  Peking, 
China,  and  asked  if  she  would  go  there,  without 
hesitation  she  signified  her  willingness  to  do  so. 

She  left  home  October  14,  1871,  and  set  sail  from 


Mary  Q.  Porter.  103 

San  Francisco  November  i,  in  company  with  Miss 
Maria  Brown  as  her  co-laborer,  and  Misses  Sarah  H, 
and  Beulah  Woolston,  who  were  returning  to  their 
missionary  work  in  Foochow  after  a  visit  home. 
She  was  peculiarly  cheerful  and  happy  in  her  dispo- 
sition, encouraging  her  friends  sometimes  amid  the 
deepest  trial  or  the  greatest  perplexity,  by  saying, 
"  Do  not  be  discouraged.  If  we  do  the  best  we 
can  and  trust  God  for  the  rest,  it  will  all  come  out 
right ;  / know'^t  will"  There  was  never  a  cloud  in 
her  horizon  so  dark  that  she  could  not  see  its  silver 
lining — no  affliction  so  great  that  she  could  not  re- 
alize that  it  was  working  for  her  good.  This  calm- 
ness and  serenity  of  spirit  possessed  her  when  part- 
ing with  friends  and  all  that  she  held  dear  in  her 
native  land. 

About  the  time  Miss  Porter  started  for  China 
the  following  beautiful  poem  appeared  in  the  "  Cen- 
tral Christian  Advocate,"  entitled, 

OUR  MISSION  AND  OUR  MISSIONARY. 

BY   MRS.    H.   B.    CRANE. 
A  feeble  company  we  stand, 
Yet  to  the  ministering  Hand 

Our  calling  high  we  own  : 
Our  souls  have  talked  with  God,  and  he 
To  us  hath  spoken  graciously  ; — 

Not  in  loud  thunder-tone, 
Or  fire,  or  storm,  or  earthquake's  shock, 
Which  rends  the  solid  mountain  rock ; 

But  breathing  still  and  low. 
In  the  hushed  spirit's  waiting  ear, 
When  to  the  throne  faith  brings  us  near,  ■' 

As  sweetest  music's  flow. 
He  whispers,  "  Many  mansions  fair 
Within  the  Father's  kingdom  are. 


I04    WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

Awaiting  multitudes 
Of  earth-born  souls  redeemed  from  sin : 
Would'st  thou  for  me  these  ransomed  win 

To  high  beatitudes  ? 
I  give  thee  love  divine  ;  no  bound 
To  love's  unfailing  source  is  found  ; 

Go,  in  this  armor  shine  !  " 


This  is  our  mission  ;  we  are  blest 
Obeying  holy  Love's  behest : 

In  His  sweet  name  we  send 
Glad  tidings  to  the  lands  afar, 
That  rays  from  our  Prophetic  Star 

With  their  night  shades  may  blend. 
Our  messenger,  a  woman  frail. 
No  armed  guards  with  coats  of  mail 

Her  weakness  to  defend  ; 
Yet  clothed  in  mighty  panoply, 
Unseen,  yet  strong  for  victory 

She  dares  our  wily  foes. 
With  faith-nerved  courage  may  she  bear 
To  the  dark  field  our  banner  fair  ; 

Its  radiant  folds  disclose 
To  opening  eyes  of  sin-bound  souls  ; 
And  on  Immanuel's  army  rolls 

Hosts  of  new  names  inscribe. 
O  Father  !  we  before  thy  throne, 
With  loving  hearts  present  this  one 

Of  princely  Israel's  tribe, 
Whom  to  the  Gentile  world  we  send  ; 
O  wilt  thou  not  in  fire  descend, 

And  clothe  her  with  thy  power? 
And  may  the  gift  of  tongues  be  hers. 
Rightly  to  speak  the  thought  which  stirs 

In  the  propitious  hour. 
Like  winged  seed  borne  on  the  wind, 
A  distant  soil  and  home  to  find, 

O  may  the  seed  she  bears. 
Of  gospel  fruit,  find  ready  soil, 
And,  springing  up,  repay  her  toil 

Despite  all  weeds  or  tares. 


Mary  Q.  Porter.  105 

And  from  the  lovely  garden  bloom. 
Of  Christian  graces  and  perfume, 

The  "  Flowery  Land  "  may  bear 
From  sisters  saved  and  borne  above 
Their  darkness,  to  the  light  of  love 

A  precious  harvest  there. 
A  fadeless  crown  when  life  is  done, 
And  China  to  the  Saviour  won, 

May  our  dear  sister  wear  ; 
And  when  with  sheaves  the  reapers  come 
To  shout  with  joy  the  harvest  home, 

May  we  the  glory  share. 

Miss  Porter  was  unable  to  reach  her  destination 
before  spring,  so  she  remained  in  Foochow  until 
March,  then  went  to  Peking,  and,  in  company  with 
Miss  Brown,  entered  at  once  upon  the  difficult  task 
of  establishing  a  girls'  school.  The  buildings  needed 
repairs  and  additions,  and  this,  with  the  amount  of 
labor  and  patience  necessary  to  overcome  the  preju- 
dice existing  against  foreigners,  and  inducing  the 
Chinese  to  let  their  girls  come  to  school,  the  new 
experience  of  housekeeping  with  servants  unac- 
quainted with  the  ways  of  "  foreign  barbarians,"  and 
the  difficulty  of  teaching  in  a  language  which  the 
new  missionaries  themselves  did  not  perfectly  un- 
derstand, made  the  task  a  formidable  one.  But  the 
God  in  whom  she  trusted  gave  her  courage  and 
grace  to  overcome  every  obstacle.  He  aided  her  in 
establishing  the  school,  and  thus  made  her  his  Ign- 
ored instrument  in  gathering  souls  into  his  kingdom. 
The  first  and  eldest  girl  admitted  to  the  school  was 
named  for  the  Branch  Secretary,  Mrs.  Lucy  Pres- 
cott.  She,  with  several  others,  embraced  Christian- 
ity, and  was  baptized.     She  remained  in  the  school 


IC6  WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

until  she  was  married  to  a  Christian  Chinaman. 
During  Miss  Porter's  visit  home  Lucy  sickened,  and 
died  a  happy  Christian,  and  went  home  as  the  first- 
fruit  of  the  faithful  labors  of  the  missionary  ladies 
of  the  Peking  school. 

Miss  Porter  is  a  very  fine  musician  and  a  beauti- 
ful singer,  having  a  very  sweet,  clear,  strong  voice. 
Her  musical  talents  have  been  a  wonderful  help  to 
her  in  her  missionary  work.  She  has  been  the  main 
dependence  as  an  organist  and  in  leading  the  sing- 
ing, both  in  school  and  chapel  service.  Her  work 
is  not  confined  to  school  duties  alone,  she  and  her 
assistants  having  in  charge  the  religious  services  for 
Chinese  women.  In  prosecuting  this  part  of  the 
work  they  are  under  the  necessity  of  visiting  the 
"  Southern  City,"  (or  Chinese  city  proper,  they  liv- 
ing in  the  Tartar,  or  northern  division,)  to  hold 
service  in  the  chapel  there. 

They  ^o  twice  a  week,  riding,  or  rather  jolting, 
over  the  rough  streets  in  the  "  mission  cart,"  a  two- 
wheeled  vehicle,  clumsy  and  heavy,  in  which  they 
have  to  seat  themselves  on  the  floor,  with  risk  of 
serious  injury  to  their  heads  from  the  sudden  jolts 
and  clumsy  motions.  It  is  wadded  inside  to  afford 
some  protection  from  these. 

All  the  letters  written  by  Miss  Porter  while  in 
Chj^a  breathe  the  same  spirit  of  consecration  to 
Christ,  and  undying  love  for  the  souls  of  the  heathen 
around  her.  Her  many  pressing  duties  during  the 
day  led  her  to  do  most  of  her  writing  at  night.  In 
this  way  she  overtaxed  her  eyes,  until  they  became 
exceedingly  painful  and  gave  her  serious  trouble. 


Mary  Q.  Porter.  107 

In  1877  she  returned  to  America  and  consulted  an 
eminent  oculist,  who  assured  her  that  no  serious 
disease  existed,  and  that  with  rest  and  proper  care 
they  might  be  perfectly  cured.  This  assurance 
filled  her  heart  with  joy  and  thankfulness,  and 
she  at  once  began  to  turn  her  attention  backward 
toward  her  school  and  other  missionary  work  in 
China. 

The  ladies  of  the  Missionary  Society  made  her 
return  home  the  occasion  of  a  delightful  reception  in 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Davenport, 
la.,  December  16.  The  attendance  was  very  large. 
Many  of  the  members  of  the  various  Churches  of 
the  city,  with  their  pastors,  were  present.  After 
devotional  exercises  Rev.  Mr.  Anderson,  who  was 
Miss  Porter's  pastor  when  she  left  home  for  China 
in  1861,  extended  to  her  a  hearty  greeting  and  wel- 
come to  the  home  where  she  was  "  born  in  the 
Church  and  born  anew  unto  God." 

One  of  the  city  papers  says :  "  Miss  Porter's  re- 
sponse was  earnest  and  affecting.  In  a  clear,  sweet 
voice,  with  a  countenance  beaming  with  love,  she 
thanked  those  before  her  for  the  welcome.  She 
then  gave  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  mission- 
ary work  in  Peking — its  methods,  its  trials,  its  pleas- 
ures, its  discouragements,  and  its  successes.  She 
concluded  by  singing  a  sacred  hymn  in  the  Chinese 
language." 

Miss  Porter  was  present  at  t^e  Eighth  Annual 
Meeting  of  the  General  Executive  Committee,  held 
in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  At  the  anniversary, 
held  Wednesday  evening,  May  17,  she  gave  a  most 


I08     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

interesting  account  of  her  work,  and  sang  exqui- 
sitely a  Chinese  translation  of  the  hymn — 

"  When  He  cometh,  when  he  cometh, 
To  make  up  his  jewels." 

While  in  this  countr}-  she  did  much  pioneer  mis- 
sionary work  for  the  ladies'  Society,  besides  visiting 
auxiliary  Societies  and  anniversary  meetings.  Her 
unpretending  modesty  of  deportment,  her  eloquent 
utterances,  her  youthful  appearance,  her  quiet  self- 
possession,  her  sweet  face  and  pleasant  voice  and 
manner,  won  all  hearts,  and  left  a  lasting  impression 
in  the  minds  of  those  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to 
hear  her. 

During  her  absence  from  the  mission.  Miss  Camp- 
bell, (who  had  been  sent  out  after  Miss  Brown's 
marriage,)  together  with  Mrs.  Davis,  (formerly  Miss 
Brown,)  labored  indefatigably  in  the  school  and 
chapel  work,  and  it  was  on  this  account  that  Miss 
Porter,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  her  friends,  decided 
to  return  to  Peking  in  the  autumn,  instead  of  wait- 
ing until  spring  to  rest  and  recuperate,  saying :  "  I 
owe  it  to  Mrs.  Davis  and  Miss  Campbell  to  return 
as  soon  as  possible  and  relieve  them.  I  fear  Miss 
Campbell  will  kill  herself;  she  is  not  strong,  and 
often  taxes  herself  beyond  her  strength  in  her  zeal 
and  anxiety  for  the  success  of  the  work." 

The  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Davenport 
Auxiliary  says  :  "^he  came  with  no  complainings 
of  trials  endured,  but  with  an  earnest  solicitude  for 
a  vigorous  carrying  forward  of  woman's  work  for 
woman  in  China.     She  has  left  us  with  health  re- 


Mary  Q.  Porter.  109 

established,  and  a  cheerful  confidence  of  future  suc- 
cess in  her  labor  of  love,  for  Christ's  sake." 

The  last  sociable  before  leaving  was  a  very  pleas- 
ant occasion  both  to  Miss  Porter  and  her  friends, 
saddened  only  by  the  thought  of  parting.  Many 
were  present  to  give  her  greeting,  and  then,  with  a 
prayer  for  prosperous  journeyings  and  safe  return, 
and  a  benediction  on  the  labors  of  the  years  that 
must  intervene,  to  say.  Farewell ! 

On  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  five  o'clock,  Sep- 
tember 20,  Miss  Porter  took  final  leave  of  her  friends 
and  family,  and  started  en  route  for  Peking  via  San 
Francisco.  After  reaching  once  more  her  chosen 
field  of  labor,  she  wrote  back  to  her  friends  at 
home  :  "  If  I  ever  had  any  doubts  as  to  my  call  to 
the  missionary  field,  they  are  all  removed.  I  am 
perfectly  happy  in  my  work,  and  feel  it  to  be  more 
glorious  than  ever." 

During  the  prevalence  of  the  famine  in  North 
China  many  refugees  from  the  stricken  districts 
crowded  into  the  city,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
typhus,  or  "  famine  fever,"  as  it  was  called,  broke 
out,  and  several  of  the  missionaries  fell  victims  to 
the  disease.  Miss  Campbell  among  the  number. 
This  sad  affliction  was  a  serious  loss  to  the  mission, 
and  Miss  Porter  was  left  alone  in  the  school  work. 
This  trial  was  increased  by  the  removal  of  her  lov- 
ing friend  and  faithful  co-laborer  Mrs.  Davis,  who, 
with  her  husband  and  children,  went  to  the  Tien- 
tsin Mission,  eighty  miles  from  Peking.  Her  duties 
now  were  most  arduous,  with  the  additional  labor 
and    increased    responsibility;   but,   claiming    the 


no     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

promise,  "  As  thy  day,  so  shall  thy  strength  be," 
she  labored  on  cheerfully  until  Miss  Cushman  came 
to  the  rescue,  bringing  the  needed  aid  and  comfort 
to  the  patient  and  persistent  toiler.  With  this  ad- 
ditional efficient  help,  doubtless  the  work  will  be 
still  more  successful,  especially  as  a  larger  number 
of  girls  have  been  added  to  the  school  on  account 
of  the  reduced  circumstances  of  their  families 
through  the  famine  and  the  disease  following. 

We  leave  her  in  her  far-away  home  in  China, 
happy  in  the  consciousness  that  she  is  obeying  the 
will  of  Him  who  hath  sent  her,  and  doing  her  part 
to  usher  in  the  glorious  time  when  earth's  remotest 
nation  shall  be  illuminated  with  the  light  of  the 
ever-blessed  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


Maria  Browne.  ill 


MARIA  BROWNE. 

THE  life  of  this  lady  has  thus  far  been  quite  ro- 
mantic and  full  of  interest.  She  was  born  on 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  of  Irish  parents,  as  they  jour- 
neyed to  this  land  of  promise.  Subsequently  she 
was  taken  from  an  orphanage,  and  adopted  by  a 
lady  in  Melrose,  Mass. 

"  Here  began  a  new  existence, 
Quickly  youth's  glad  currents  run, 

And  her  inner  life  unfolded 
Like  a  flower  before  the  sun." 

New  hopes  and  aims  and  aspirations  began  to 
spring  up  within  her  heart.  She  was  fond  of  study, 
and  at  eighteen  years  of  age  she  was  graduated  from 
the  high  school  in  the  town  where  she  resided. 
The  next  six  years  of  her  life  were  spent  in  the  fam- 
ily home,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  spent  as 
teacher  of  the  school  from  which  she  was  graduated. 
At  thirteen  years  of  age  she  was  converted,  and 
joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which 
her  foster-mother  was  a  member.  Although  so 
young  she  was  an  earnest  and  devout  Christian,  and 
at  once  began  her  missionary  work  among  those  of 
her  own  age,  many  of  whom  she  led  to  Christ. 

With  regard  to  her  call  to  the  foreign  missionary 
work,  Mrs.  Daggett,  of  Boston,  agent  of  the  "  Hea- 
then Woman's  Friend,"  writes : 


It2     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"We  were  greatly  in  need  of  a  suitable  lady  for 
Peking — had  been  looking  for  one  in  a  quiet  man- 
ner, for  we  have  always  been  a  little  fearful  of  say- 
ing aloud — that  is,  too  loud — '  We  want  a  lady  for 
missionary  work,'  lest  the  one  least  fitted  should  be 
the  first  to  say,  '  I  '11  go  !  * 

"  One  day  a  lady  called  at  the  Mission  Room 
with  names  for  the  '  Heathen  Woman's  Friend.' 
With  her  was  a  young  lady  of  quiet  mien,  who, 
after  a  few  words  when  introduced,  sat  silent  until 
they  left ;  but  all  the  while  I  was  conversing  with 
the  other  I  was  studying  the  silent  one.  I  did  not 
think  of  her  as  a  future  missionary  at  first,  but  her 
face  intensely  interested  me,  and  its  expression  did 
not  leave  me  when  she  left.  In  a  few  days  the  hus- 
band of  the  lady  who  came  on  business  called,  and 
I  made  careful  inquiry  about  the  young  lady  who 
called  with  his  wife.  (He  was  a  superannuated 
preacher.)  To  every  question  his  answers  were  def- 
inite, and,  without  exception,  highly  commendatory. 
I  learned  from  him  of  her  early  history,  and  the 
circumstances  surrounding  her,  which  had  an  influ- 
ence in  developing  her  character;  and  I  could  see 
how  by  experience  and  discipline  she  had  been  each 
day  fitting  herself,  though  unconsciously,  for  the 
work  the  Lord  had  in  store  for  her.  When  I  told 
him  what  I  was  thinking  of,  and  asked,  *  How 
would  she  do  for  a  missionary  ?  '  he  started  up  from 
his  chair,  and  said,  *  Why,  if  she  would  go,  you 
would  not  find  a  better  one  if  you  were  to  search 
the  world  over! '  I  told  him  of  the  difficult  lan- 
guage she  would  have  to  learn,  the  thousands  of 


Maria  Browne  113 

hair-breadth  sounds  to  distinguish  between,  and  the 
contortions  of  the  tongue  to  be  practiced.  He 
said,  '  She  has  a  most  wonderful  memory;  after  lis- 
tening to  a  sermon  or  lecture  can  repeat  nearly  the 
whole  of  it.'  All  his  commendations  were  in  the 
superlative  degree.  I  asked  if  he  had  ever  heard 
her  speak  of  entering  the  foreign  mission  work.  He 
had  not.  I  then  asked  him  to  get  his  wife,  with 
whom  she  was  very  intimate,  to  talk  with  her,  and 
if  she  had  any  inclination  to  the  work  to  let  me 
know. 

"  In  a  few  days  she  called,  and  during  conversa- 
tion said,  she  had  thought  she  would  like  to  go,  but 
had  never  felt  any  call.  I  asked  her  what  she  meant 
by  a  call.  She  said  she  had  never  felt,  '  Woe  is  me 
if  I  go  not.'  I  asked  her  if  she  was  willing  to  go  if 
the  Lord  should  call  her.  She  said,  '  O  yes,  I  am 
willing,  or  I  think  I  am,  to  do  any  thing  he  will 
help  me  to  do,  if  I  know  he  wants  me  to  do  it.* 
'Then,*  I  replied,  *it  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  feel 
the  woe  of  which  you  speak.  What  would  you 
think  of  a  mother  who  would  say  to  a  perfectly 
obedient  child,  who  only  needed  to  know  her 
mother*s  wishes  to  comply  with  them,  "  Child,  if  you 
do  not  perform  this  duty  I  shall  punish  you  severe- 
ly? '* '  I  asked  her  to  go  home  and  ask  God  to  make 
plain  his  will  in  this  matter,  and  listen  carefully  for 
the  answer ;  cautioning  her  not  to  take  our  call  for 
God's,  unless  it  should  be  made  known  to  her  that 
he  was  calling  her  to  this  work  through  us,  or  by 
human  voices;  and  let  me  know  the  decision.  If  I 
had  not  felt  pretty  sure  as  to  how  the  question  was 


114    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

to  be  settled  I  am  afraid  I  should  have  undertaken 
to  'steady  the  ark'  a  little.  I  should  be  loath  to 
have  the  best  woman  in  the  world  go  to  a  foreign 
field  without  feeling  sure  the  Lord  wanted  her 
there  as  well  as  we ;  but  I  was  satisfied  that  she  was 
our  missionary  to  Peking  in  embryo." 

After  prayerfully  and  conscientiously  considering 
the  matter,  she  fully  decided  to  go.  She  sailed 
from  San  Francisco,  November,  1871.  A  most 
pleasant  farewell  meeting  was  held,  October  9,  at 
her  home  in  Melrose,  Mass.  Appropriate  and  ear- 
nest words  were  spoken  by  Rev.  Dr.  Haven,  Mrs. 
Dr.  Monroe,  and  Mrs.  Hon.  E.  F.  Porter.  Miss 
Browne  followed  with  words  which  will  long  remain 
in  the  hearts  of  those  who  listened  to  them. 

Miss  Browne's  record  in  China  has  been  one  of 
devout,  earnest,  faithful,  successful  labor.  After 
serving  the  ladies'  Society  for  a  number  of  years  as 
a  single  missionary  she  was  married  to  Rev.  G.  R. 
Davis,  of  the  parent  Board,  and  with  united  effort 
they  are  still  laboring  for  the  redemption  of  China. 
Mrs.  Daggett  says,  "  Mrs.  Bishop  Wiley  wrote  me 
of  her  appreciation  of  Mrs.  Davis  as  mother,  house^ 
keeper,  and  missionary,  while  she  was  on  her  visit 
to  China." 


Carrie  L.  M'Millan.  115 


CARRIE    L.   M'MIITLAN. 

CARRIE  L.  M'MILLAN  was  one  of  the  early 
missionaries  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society,  having  been  sent  out  the  third 
year  of  its  organization.  She  is  a  native  of  Get- 
tysburg, Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  October  23, 
1844.  In  1862  she  graduated  from  the  Gettys- 
burg Female  Seminary,  after  which  she  spent  some 
time  in  teaching.  Her  father's  brother,  Rev.  G.  W. 
M'Millan,  was  a  missionary  to  India.  He  was  sent 
out  by  the  American  Board,  (Presbyterian,)  and 
spent  nine  years  in-Dindegol,  Southern  India.  Her 
mother's  sister  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  James  Curran, 
whose  son  is  now  a  member  of  the  Central  Pennsyl- 
vania Conference,  and  her  sister  married  Rev.  M.  L. 
Drum,  of  the  same  Conference.  While  Carrie  was 
an  infant  her  mother  died,  leaving  her  children  the 
rich  legacy  of  a  saintly  life.  Her  father  was  a  *'  good 
man,  full  of  faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost."  He  dedi- 
cated his  children  to  God,  and  they  were  all  brought 
into  the  Church  in  early  childhood. 

Of  her  religious  experience  and  call  to  the  mission 
field  she  says :  "  I  cannot  remember  when  I  first 
began  to  understand  the  plan  of  salvation,  or  felt 
the  burden  of  an  unrenewed  heart.  I  was  often 
deeply  convicted  of  sin,  and  at  the  age  of  seven 
years  I  was  clearly  converted.     All  alone,  out  in 


Il6    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

the  fields,  I  wept  and  prayed  until  the  light  and 
love  of  the  justified  and  pardoned  came  into  my 
soul.  Long  as  the  cycles  of  eternity  roll  I  think  I 
can  never  forget  the  joy  of  that  hour.  At  night, 
when  alone  in  the  darkness,  I  seemed  to  see  the 
loving  angels  hovering  over  me,  with  wreaths  of 
flowers  in  their  hands.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  early 
this  one  thought  entered  my  heart,  and  filled  my 
whole  soul — that  my  life-ivork  was  in  India  !  I  can 
recall  no  incidents — nothing — that  could  have  in- 
fluenced my  mind  or  turned  my  thoughts  in  that 
channel.  It  came  gently,  imperceptibly  as  the  dew 
of  evening ;  and  yet  so  grew  with  my  growth,  and 
filled  and  thrilled  me,  that  I  seemed  to  live  a 
charmed  life.  Some  years  after  I  came  across  those 
well-known  lines,  '  The  Missionary's  Call,'  by  Dr. 
Nathan  Brown.  I  cannot  describe  my  feelings  as  I 
read  them.  They  seemed  to  be  telling  the  story  of 
my  inner  life,  for  I  had  felt  indeed, 

'  My  soul  is  not  at  rest ;  there  comes  a  strange 

And  secret  whisper  to  my  spirit,  like 

A  dream  at  night,  that  tells  me  I  am  on 

Enchanted  ground.     Why  live  I  here?     The  vows 

Of  God  are  on  me,  and  I  may  not  stoop 

To  play  with  shadows,  or  pluck  earthly  flowers, 

Till  I  my  work  have  done,  and  rendered  up  account.* 

"  As  a  school  girl  I  studied  with  reference  to  this 
one  object.  In  tracing  out  these  Eastern  nations 
on  the  map,  or  noting  the  paths  across  the  oceans, 
I  would  think,  *  My  school-mates  and  teachers  little 
think  I  will  see  those  places.'  These  longings  of  my 
early  life  were  never  forgotten ;  and,  when,  at  last,  I 
revealed  them  to  my  pastor  and  his  wife,  my  name 


Carrie  L.  M'Millan.  117 

was  sent  to  the  Missionary  Society,  and  I  was  sent 
to  India. 

"The  days  of  waiting  and  suspense  were  ended; 
and  with  my  appointment  came  a  sense  of  responsi- 
bility. I  felt  so  unworthy  for  the  position !  One 
incident  in  my  home-life  I  must  relate.  At  one 
time  in  my  infancy  my  life  was  despaired  of,  all 
hope  of  recovery  being  given  up.  My  dear  father, 
who  has  wonderful  faith  in  prayer,  took  the  case  to 
the  Lord,  asking  hini  for  my  life,  and  dedicating 
me  to  missionary  service  if  God  saw  fit  to  spare  me. 
The  answer  came — my  health  was  restored ;  but  I 
knew  nothing  of  the  prayer  or  the  promise  during 
all  those  years  of  waiting.  A  short  time  before  my 
appointment,  in  telling  some  of  the  wonderful  an- 
swers to  prayer  he  had  received,  he  related  this, 
adding,  *  I  hope  Carrie  will  yet  live  to  fulfill  this 
vow.'  Can  you  imagine  my  feelings?  It  came  as 
a  voice  from  heaven,  confirming  all  the  heart-yearn- 
ings I  had  felt  for  the  mission  work.  I  am  glad  to 
fall  humbly  in  the  dust,  and  say,  *  It  is  not  of  self, 
but  it  is  the  hand  of  my  loving  heavenly  Father, 
.  who  watched  and  guided  my  wayward,  faltering 
steps,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  this  chosen  one, 
whose  faith  and  trust  have  so  often  been  honored.' 

"  After  my  appointment  the  time  for  preparation 
was  short,  and  I  was  soon  to  say  farewell  to  those 
whom  I  loved  dearer  than  life.  The  youngest  of  a 
large  family,  petted,  and  made  in  every  thing  de- 
pendent, it  was  no  easy  task  to  break  the  ties  that 
bound  me  to  the  home  of  my  childhood,  where,  un- 
fettered by  care,  I  had  spent  my  time  amid  the 


Il8     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

orchards,  meadows,  forests,  and  fields  of  my  wild- 
wood  home.  To  part  from  my  dear  ones,  and  go 
alone,  (for  I  knew  no  one  in  the  mission,  or  of  the 
company  of  missionaries  then  going  out,)  was  a  try- 
ing ordeal,  yet  I  was  not  alone.  I  leaned  on  a  strong 
Arm — the  prayers  of  multitudes  of  friends  who  gath- 
ered around  me  were  answered.  '  My  grace  is  suf- 
cient  for  thee '  was  whispered  to  my  inmost  soul, 
and  through  this  I  triumphed. 

"  Pardon  me,  if  I  allude  again  to  my  dear  father. 
During  all  the  years  of  waiting,  while  he  kept  his 
trust  secret,  he  never  murmured  or  faltered ;  but 
with  the  last  *  Good-bye'  grief  for  awhile  conquered 
■ — no  relenting,  but  it  was  a  struggle.  After  all  was 
over,  and  I  was  on  my  way  to  New  York,  previous 
to  sailing,  he  went  alone  to  his  room.  After  a  time 
he  came  down,  his  face  radiant,  as  was  the  face  of 
Moses  when  he  descended  from  the  mount,  and,  ex- 
tending his  hand  to  my  brother,  he  said :  '  I  have 
gained  the  victory  !  Glory,  glory  !  I  am  glad  she 
has  gone,  and  glad  she  has  such  a  message  to  de- 
liver ! '  " 

On  the  15th,  i6th,  and  17th  of  October,  1871, 
three  large  and  enthusiastic  farewell  meetings  were 
held  in  Brooktyn  and  New  York,  The  next  morn- 
ing, October  18,  saw  Miss  M'Millan  on  board  the 
steamer,  with  a  large  number  of  friends  to  say  fare- 
well. Those  who  watched  the  noble  vessel  as  she 
moved  from  her  moorings,  spoke  of  the  beaming 
faces  of  the  departing  missionaries,  and  of  the  last 
words  spoken  by  one  of  them,  '  It  is  all  bright,  not 
one  spot  on  the  brightness  !  " 


Carrie  L.  M' Millan.  119 

Miss  M'Millan's  first  appointment  after  reaching 
India  was  in  Moradabad.  Here  she  rendered  vry 
efficient  service,  until  she  left  it  for  another  field  of 
labor.  In  1872  she  was  married  to  Rev.  P.  M.  Buck, 
one  of  our  most  devoted  and  successful  young  mis- 
sionaries, who  had  spent  one  year  in  India  previous 
to  her  arrival,  and  with  him  she  removed  to  Shah- 
jehanpore,  where  they  had  charge  of  the  Boys'  Or- 
phanage, village  station  work,  and  enough  to  fill 
their  hands  and  hearts. 

Miss  M'Millan  has  proven  herself  to  be  a  most 
self-sacrificing,  zealous,  and  faithful  missionary. 
Writing  back  she  says  :  "  Of  my  work  in  India  I  can 
only  say,  I  LOVE  IT.  I  love  the  people  with  a  pe- 
culiar love.  I  am  glad  I  have  a  place  in  this  field. 
I  am  glad  that  prayer  for  India's  redemption  is  be- 
ing answered.  We  may  not  see  it  all,  but  the  time 
is  coming  when  the  jubilant  trump  shall  sound,  and 
India's  daughters,  so  long  bound  by  the  fetters  of 
superstition,  and  dark  and  gross  idolatry,  shall  hear 
it.  The  doors  of  the  zenana  shall  swing  back,  and, 
redeemed  in  the  light  of  God's  countenance,  they 
shall  come  forth.  May  God  hasten  the  day,  and 
help  us  who  are  engaged  in  this  work  to  be  very 
faithful ! " 
6 


120     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


JENNIE  M.  TINSLEY. 

JENNIE  M.  TINSLEY  was  the  first  missionary 
supported  by  the  North-western  Branch.  A  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  she  came  with  her  parents  to  this 
country  when  eleven  years  of  age.  Her  home  was 
Mt.  Auburn,  Cincinnati.  For  a  time  she  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Ladies'  College,  Indianapolis  ;  then  en- 
tered the  Wesleyan  College,  Cincinnati,  graduating 
with  honor.  After  spending  a  few  years  in  teach- 
ing and  perfecting  herself  in  drawing  and  paint- 
ing, she  laid  aside  her  easel  and  turned  her  face 
eastward  to  the  daughters  of  Asia.  She  possessed 
rare  gifts  as  an  artist.  Her  paintings  are  treas- 
ured, with  merited  fondness,  in  the  homes  of  many 
of  her  friends. 

Miss  Tinsley  was  converted  early  in  life,  and  with 
the  knowledge  of  her  sins  forgiven  came  a  burning 
desire  to  tell  to  those  afar  off  Christ's  wondrous 
power  to  save.  She  made  her  first  appearance  be- 
fore the  ladies  of  the  Branch  at  their  first  annual 
meeting,  which  was  held  in  the  Centenary  M.  E. 
Church,  Chicago.  At  the  call  of  the  president  she 
arose,  and  in  the  presence  of  that  large  audience 
told  of  her  love  to  God  and  his  cause,  and  how 
thankful  she  was  that  the  way  was  opened  by  which 
she  might  realize  the  one  absorbing  desire  of  her 
heart — to  be   a  missionary.     Those  who  saw  and 


Jennie  M.  Tins  ley.  121 

heard  her  that  day  were  well  assured  of  her  eminent 
fitness  for  the  work  to  which  she  was  called. 

From  the  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend  "  of  Octo- 
ber, 1 87 1,  we  copy  the  following  letter,  written  by 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Society,  Mrs. 
Jennie  F.  Willing : 

"  The  North-western  Branch  has  sent  its  first 
missionary  to  India — Miss  Jennie  M.  Tinsley,  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana.  She  goes  to  England  and 
Ireland  to  visit  her  relatives,  intending  to  join 
the  missionary  party  from  New  York  in  Liverpool. 
Miss  Tinsley  attended  our  Branch  anniversary,  last 
May,  in  Chicago.  The  ladies  who  were  at  the  fore- 
noon meeting  will  not  soon  forget  the  beautiful 
simplicity  of  her  appeal  for  their  sympathy  and 
prayers  for  herself  and  her  work.  Our  *  farewell 
meetings '  in  Indianapolis  were  most  interesting. 
Monday  afternoon  a  missionary  prayer-meeting  was 
held  in  Meridian-street  Church.  The  burden  of 
the  petitions  was  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
upon  Miss  Tinsley,  to  help  her  through  the  severe 
ordeal  of  leaving  her  friends,  and  to  lead  her  to  the 
largest  usefulness.  Tuesday  afternoon,  a  meeting 
in  the  interests  of  the  higher  Christian  life  was 
held  in  Asbury  Church.  The  Lord  answered 
prayer  most  graciously.  The  Comforter  came  to 
our  missionary,  filling  her  with  the  *  fullness  of  the 
blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.*  Tuesday  even- 
ing a  meeting  was  held  in  Roberts'  Park  Church. 
Dr.  Andrus  presided.  Mrs.  I.  R.  Hitt,  of  Chicago, 
Mrs,  Dr.  Seymour,  of  Jeffersonville,  Indiana,  Miss 
Tinsley,  Mrs.  Willing,  and   Dr.  Holliday,  spoke  to 


122     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

the  people.     The  meeting  was  most  satisfactory  and 
enthusiastic. 

"  Wednesday  afternoon  a  similar  meeting  was 
held  on  the  Acton  Camp-ground,  near  the  city. 
Wednesday  evening  the  ladies  of  Meridian-street 
Church  (of  which  Miss  Tinsley  is  a  member)  gave 
her  a  '  farewell  sociable.'  A  cheerful  earnestness 
marked  the  hour.  The  *  good-byes  '  were  full  of 
hope. 

"  We  need  hardly  request  for  our  missionary  the 
fervent  and  constant  prayers  of  the  women  of  the 
North-western  Branch.  We  know  you  will  remem- 
ber her.  She  is  well  prepared,  by  natural  endow- 
ment and  by  culture,  for  strong  work ;  yet  with- 
out the  special  help  of  the  Holy  Spirit  she  will  be 
powerless.  From  the  home  of  every  western  Meth- 
odist woman,  be  it  in  *  marble  front  *  or  prairie  cab- 
in, let  prayer  go  to  God  daily  for  the  unction  of  the 
Holy  One  to.  accompany  her  every  effort  to  win 
lost  souls." 

Miss  Tinsley's  first  missionary  work  was  in  the 
girls'  school,  Lucknow,  India.  She  has  since  been 
engaged  in  zenana  work.  She  has  more  than 
met  the  expectations  of  those  who  sent  her  out, 
having  been  eminently  successful  in  her  missionary 
work  in  all  the  departments  in  which  she  has 
served.  One  of  the  missionaries  writes  back  :  "  Miss 
Tinsley  is  a  grand  success  !  Her  characteristics  are 
such  that  she  cannot  help  succeeding.  She  is  a 
cheerful  Christian,  always  looking  on  the  bright  side. 
On  every  dark  cloud  she  sees  the  bow  of  promise 
and  hope.     She  is  full  of  sparkle  and  wit ;  fun-lov- 


Jennie  M.  Tinslcy.  123 

ing  but  sympathetic,  whole-souled,  impulsive  en- 
thusiastic, energetic.  She  is  very  conscientious, 
and  has  a  deep  religious  experience." 

From  the  depths  of  social  degradation,  from 
cares  and  perplexities,  she  writes  to  her  home 
friends  ;  smiling  at  their  suggestions  of  "  sacrifice," 
she  says  :  "  I  have  just  begun  to  live,  and  have  but 
two  regrets  ;  firstly,  that  I  did  not  come  to  India 
years  ago,  and  secondly,  that  I  have  but  one  poor, 
little,  short  life  to  give  to  this  work."  After  about 
five  years  of  valuable  service  in  the  field,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  So- 
ciety, she  was  married  to  Rev.  J.  W.  Waugh,  one 
of  India's  most  efficient  missionaries  ;  and  with 
united  effort  they  are  still  laboring  for  the  salvation 
of  the  heathen. 


124    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


ACTION  OF  THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE. 

THE  third  meeting  of  the  General  Executive 
Committee  was  held  in  New  York,  May,  1872. 
It  was  a  meeting  of  peculiar  interest,  because  dur- 
ing its  session  the  Society  received  the  approval  of 
the  General  Conference.  One  year  before,  during 
the  meeting  held  in  Chicago,  "  it  was  voted  to 
memorialize  the  approaching  General  Conference, 
asking  for  our  Society  the  same  recognition  and 
sanction  as  are  accorded  the  other  benevolent  or- 
ganizations of  the  Church.  The  committee  ap- 
pointed for  the  purpose  prepared  the  desired  me- 
morial, recounting  the  history  of  the  rise  and  prog- 
ress of  the  Society,  its  past  and  present  relation  to 
the  General  Missionary  Society  of  the  Church,  and 
asking  that  it  might  be  '  officially  authorized  to 
prosecute  its  work  as  a  recognized  agency  of  the 
Church,  with  no  other  than  its  present  restrictions, 
its  annual  report  having  place  in  the  annual  report 
of  the  General  Society.'  " 

After  adoption  by  the  General  Executive  Com- 
mittee at  the  commencement  of  their  session  in  New 
York,  the  document  was  duly  presented  to  General 
Conference,  when  it  received  a  most  respectful  con- 
sideration. It  was  referred,  as  desired,  to  the  Com- 
mittee on  Missions,  and  ordered  to  be  printed  in 
the  "  Daily  Advocate."     Indeed,  in  anticipation  of 


Action  of  the  General  Conference.  125 

the  possible  desire  of  the  ladies  to  communicate 
with  the  body,  a  committee  had  already  been  ap- 
pointed to  bear  the  greetings  of  the  General  Con- 
ference to  the  General  Executive  Committee,  and 
to  receive  any  papers  which  they  might  desire  to 
present. 

To  give  our  committee  an  answer  to  the  prayer 
of  the  memorial  before  their  adjournment,  the  Com- 
mittee on  Missions  reported  as  early  as  possible,  and 
the  General  Conference  suspended  its  order  of  busi- 
ness to  consider  and  promptly  adopt  the  following : 

"  Having  earnestly  considered  the  papers  referred 
to  us  on  the  subject  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
we  recommend  the  following  : 

"  Resolved,  That  we  hereby  recognize  the  Wom- 
an's Foreign  Missionary  Society  as  an  efficient 
agency  in  the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  and  that  we  en- 
courage our  sisters  to  prosecute  their  work  with  no 
other  restrictions  than  at  present,  and  that  they  be 
permitted  to  publish  their  report  in  connection  with 
the  report  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  recommend  that  pastors  re- 
port the  amount  raised  in  their  several  charges  by 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  and  that 
such  report  be  published  in  the  General  Minutes. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  recommend  that  all  real  es- 
tate in  foreign  lands  belonging  to  this  Society  be 
held  for  it  by  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  as  trustees  in  trust." 

Not  content  with  this  hearty  and  complete  au- 


126    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

thorization  and  "  encouragement  "  of  our  work,  the 
General  Conference  was  pleased  to  allude  most 
kindly  and  appreciatively  to  our  Society  in  two 
other  adopted  papers.  The  following  is  from  the 
"  Report  of  the  Committee  on  the  State  of  the 
Church  :  " 

"  The  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was 
organized  in  March,  1869,  by  the  ladies  of  our 
Church  in  Boston.  This  Society  originated  in  the 
fact  that  in  some  of  the  mission  fields  women  only 
can  obtain  access  to  the  women  of  those  countries, 
and  that  the  condition  of  the  latter  is  such  as  to 
appeal  in  the  strongest  possible  form  for  the  benign 
and  elevating  influences  of  Christianity. 

"  To  the  special  and  infinitely  wise  providence 
of  God  we  believe  the  Church  is  indebted  for  the 
origin  of  this  institution,  which  we  regard  as  des- 
tined to  be  an  agency  of  great  power  in  spreading 
the  Gospel  throughout  India  and  China.  Although 
its  origin  is  so  recent,  it  already  has  six  hundred 
auxiliaries  and  nine  missionaries  in  the  field.  Its 
funds  and  resources  are  rapidly  increasing.  It  emi- 
nently deserves  the  fostering  care  of  the  whole 
Church." 

Not  less  appreciative  and  encouraging  are  the 
following  expressions  from  the  "  Report  of  the 
Committee  on  Woman's  Work  in  the  Church  :  " 

"  Our  women  are  already  far  on  toward  leading 
the  advance  in  the  actual  work  of  the  Sabbath- 
school,  our  home  and  city  missions,  in  the  distri- 
bution of  tracts,  and  in  the  visitation  of  the  poor 
and  neglected  masses. 


Action  of  the  General  Conference.  127 

"  Recently  God  has  directed  their  hearts  toward 
their  sisters  of  foreign  countries,  and  a  most  suc- 
cessful organization  has  been  effected  for  aiding  in 
the  evangelization  of  heathen  lands.  For  these 
fields  of  labor  they  have  peculiar  capabilities,  and 
we  rejoice  that  the  divine  Spirit  is  leading  their 
hearts  earnestly  into  them. 

"We  commend  to  women,  and,  indeed,  the  whole 
Church,  the  '  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  So- 
ciety '  and  the  '  Ladies  and  Pastors'  Christian 
Union,'  as  two  organizations  worthy  of  their  high- 
est gifts  and  noblest  efforts.  We  exhort  the  women 
of  our  Church  to  still  greater  zeal  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  the  class-room,  the  prayer-meetings  and 
love-feasts,  and  in  the  evangelization  of  the  masses. 
**  We  exhort  our  preachers,  also,  to  give  all  the 
wise,  discreet  encouragement  they  can  to  the  exer- 
cise and  development  of  the  gifts  which  God  has 
bestowed  on  our  sisters  for  the  furtherance  of  his 
kingdom  on  earth."  * 

Appropriations  were  made  for  sending  two  mis- 
sionaries. Miss  Howe  and  Miss  Hoag,  to  Kiukiang, 
China,  and  two  more,  Misses  Blackmar  and  Pultz, 
were  sent  to  India. 

♦  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,"  AugusI,  1872. 


128    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


LUCY  H.  HOAG  AND  GERTRUDE  HOWE. 

THE  call  to  China  not  only  aroused  the  hearts 
of  the  women  of  the  Eastern  States,  but  from 
the  West  came  also  responses ;  and  Miss  Lucy  H. 
Hoag  and  Miss  Gertrude  Howe,  of  Michigan,  both 
signified  their  willingness  to  enter  this  field  of  labor. 
They  were  appointed  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  to  Kiukiang,  to  establish  a  girls' 
school.  They  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  October  i, 
1872.  Those  who  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  them 
speak  at  Evanston,  and  at  the  farewell  meeting  in 
Chicago,  will  never  forget  the  impression  made,  and 
will  not  cease  to  cherish  them  in  their  hearts,  and 
to  sustain  them  by  their  prayers  and  sympathy. 

Miss  Hoag  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age. 
Her  brother,  Rev.  G.  W^  Hoag,  of  the  Michigan 
Conference,  early  adopted  her  into  his  family,  and 
Lucy  ever  regarded  himself  and  wife  with  the  ten- 
der devotion  of  a  loving  daughter.  She  graduated 
with  honor  from  the  College  in  Albion,  Michigan, 
after  which  she  spent  a  few  years  in  teaching.  She 
says,  "  I  lost  much  of  Christian  joy  by  maintaining 
a  controversy  with  my  conscience  and  God's  will 
on  the  question  of  missionary  consecration ; "  but 
when  she  decided  to  give  herself  to  the  work  of 
teaching  in  heathen  lands  she  was  happy.  Her  let- 
ters prove  that  she  has  never  regretted  her  noble 


Lucy  H.  Hoag  and  Gertrude  Howe.  1 29 

choice.  Those  who  know  her  best  speak  of  her 
"  unselfishness,  persistence,  patience,  and  equanim- 
ity of  disposition,"  and  of  her  "  wealth  of  affection ;" 
all  elements  of  character  eminently  qualifying  her  for 
her  great  work.  A  correspondent  says,  "  She  also 
makes  good  use  of  her  musical  talents,  playing  upon 
the  organ  while  a  wondering  audience  stand  around 
to  listen." 

The  home  of  Miss  Gertrude  Howe  is  in  Lansing, 
Michigan.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal 
School,  Ypsilanti,  Michigan,  and  in  an  unusual  de- 
gree possesses  all  the  traits  necessary  for  a  mission- 
ary teacher.  OC  her  early  impressions  Miss  Howe 
says:  "As  soon  as  I  knew  about  the  heathen  I 
wanted  to  teach  them."  When  but  a  child  she 
thought  she  must  discipline  herself  preparatory  to 
entering  upon  mission  work,  that  she  might  the 
more  easily  endure  its  incidental  privations  and 
necessary  self-denials.  Among  other  things,  she 
avoided  cultivating  a  taste  for  tea,  little  dreaming, 
probably,  that  her  mission-work  would  be  in  the 
midst  of  the  tea-gardens  of  China.  Her  call  to  mis- 
sionary labor  was  obeyed  promptly  and  cheerfully, 
although,  after  weeks  of  suspense  as  to  her  field  of 
labor,  the  summons  and  the  departure  were  almost 
simultaneous.  One  short  night  for  the  good-bye, 
and  the  morning  light  found  her  hastening  to  join 
the  outgoing  party. 

These  young  ladies  reached  China  the  last  of  No- 
vember, and  on  the  first  of  Januar)'^  they  had  estab- 
lished their  school  in  good  working  order — a  remark- 
able energy  and  perseverance  that  could  accomplish 


I30     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

SO  much  in  less  than  two  months  in  a  heathen  land, 
confronted  by  an  unknown  tongue  and  deep-seated 
prejudice.* 

The  report  of  the  official  correspondent  for  the 
year  1879  says:  "  For  nearly  seven  years  the  work 
of  a  female  boarding-school  has  been  carried  on  in 
Kiukiang  with  exceptional  success.  Our  two  faith- 
ful missionaries  continued  as  heretofore  until  Feb- 
ruary, when  Miss  Howe  was  obliged  to  return  to 
America  to  recruit  her  health.  The  school  began, 
January  i,  1873,  with  seven  pupils,  and  a  poor  man 
of  the  literary  class  as  teacher.  Much  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  finding  a  native  matron  who  could 
read,  but  after  a  month  or  more  had  elapsed  a 
woman,  with  the  very  small  Chinese  feet  and  lady- 
like manner,  engaged  to  come  for  a  month,  studying 
and  reading ;  she  has  continued  in  the  school  up  to 
the  present  time.  This  was  Mrs.  Tong,  of  whom  a 
recent  letter  says,  *  She  is  as  faithful  as  ever,  self- 
possessed,  dignified,  gentle  in  her  ways,  with  an  un- 
usual degree  of  tact  in  managing  the  school  children.' 

"  The  year  began  with  thirty-one  pupils  and  the 
five  orphans  who  have  been  adopted  into  the  family; 
it  closed  with  forty-seven  scholars,  and  four  who 
were  yet  too  young  to  commence  study."  Besides 
this,  the  school  has  proved  an  effectual  door  to  many 
of  the  women  of  Kiukiang.  Miss  Howe  writes, 
"  Women  come  to  our  house  to  see  the  school  in 
crowds.  Within  the  last  few  weeks  we  have  been 
compelled  to  lock  the  gate  and  refuse  admittance. 

*  We  are  indebted  for  these  facts  to  Mary  H.  B.  Hitt's  Sketch  of 
Missionaries  Supported  by  the  North-western  Branch. 


Lucy  H.  Hoag  and  Gertrude  Howe.         131 

The  women  are  from  all  classes  of  the  people,  the 
larger  proportion  rude  and  boisterous,  but  some  are 
ladies,  attended  by  their  servants.  They  all  come 
in  a  rush,  interrupt  the  exercises  of  the  school,  and 
wear  out  Mrs.  Tong,  who  must  stop  to  answer  ques- 
tions, or  the  guests  begin  to  upbraid  her  in  loud 
tones  for  her  rudeness."  Desirous  of  improving 
every  opportunity  for  good.  Miss  Howe,  (who  ex- 
pects soon  to  return  to  her  work  in  China,)  has  se- 
cured the  services  of  her  sister,  Miss  Delia  Howe, 
who  will  sail  with  her  to  take  charge  of  the  work 
among  these  women. 

It  was  thought  necessary  to  adjust  the  names  of 
the  missionaries  to  the  sound  of  some  Chinese 
"  character,"  else  they  would  not  have  a  recognized 
written  surname.  Miss  Howe's  name  was  easily 
adjusted,  as  the  natives  decided  it  was  a  Chinese 
word,  meaning,  "  the  sun  in  the  heavens."  The  ad* 
dress  of  Miss  Gertrude  Howe  in  China,  is,  therefore, 
Miss  Gertrude  "  Sun  in  the  heavens  !"  The  Chinese 
have  also  conferred  upon  her  a  title  which  conveys 
in  it  the  greatest  compliment  ever  given  to  a  lady 
of  the  highest  rank  in  China. 

In  addition  to  the  care  and  labor  of  founding  the 
boarding-school,  and  teaching  and  superintending 
its  general  interests,  they  erected  a  new  building  for 
school  and  home.  This  was  completed  in  1876. 
Mrs.  Keen,  in  reporting  the  Kiukiang  work,  says, 
"This  was  done  at  a  marvelously  small  expenditure, 
and  is,  doubtless,  owing  to  the  ladies'  knowledge  of 
native  character,  and  their  personal  supervision  of 
the  work." 


132     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


LOU  E.  BLACKMAR. 

Our  voluntary  service  He  requires, 

Not  our  necessitated  ;  such  with  him 

Finds  no  acceptance,  nor  can  find  ;  for  how 

Can  hearts,  not  free,  be  tried  whether  they  serve 

Willing  or  no,  who  will  but  what  they  must 

By  destiny,  and  can  no  other  choose  ? — Milton. 

10U  E.  BLACKMAR  was  born  in  West  Spring- 
-^  field,  Erie  County,  Pennsylvania,  March  21, 
1 841.  Her  father  was  a  man  of  moral  integrity 
and  uprightness  of  character,  reflecting  in  the  ordi- 
nary walks  of  life  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  leading 
his  children  in  the  paths  of  wisdom  and  piety  both 
by  precept  and  example.  Her  mother  was  also 
deeply  pious,  and  was  possessed  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary mental  capacity.  Her  maternal  grandfather 
was  a  pioneer  of  Methodism  in  North-western  Penn- 
sylvania: three  of  his  sons  entered  the  Methodist 
ministry,  and  one  daughter  also  shared  in  the  toils 
and  triumphs  of  the  itinerancy.  Coming  from  such 
an  ancestral  line,  it  is  not  surprising  that  missionary 
fire  burned  in  her  heart.  Miss  Blackmar  says,  "The 
constant  and  united  aim  of  my  parents  has  been  to 
train  up  their  children  in  the  fear  and  love  of  God. 
They  gave  us  good  opportunities  for  securing  an 
education,  and  early  instilled  into  our  minds  the 
importance  of  being  courageous  and  self-reliant,  that 
we  might  be  prepared  to  fill  places  of  usefulness  and 
honor,  and  that  the  world  might  be  the  better  for 


Lou  E.  Blachnar.  133 

our  having  lived  in  it.  If  any  of  us  fail  in  this,  they 
will  be  free  from  responsibility." 

She  was  educated  at  the  West  Springfield  Acad- 
emy and  Edinborough  Normal  School,  Erie  Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania.  From  her  earliest  recollections 
she  says  her  ambition  was  to  be  what  her  mother 
had  been  —  r  teacher.  When  about  seventeen 
years  of  age  she  commenced  her  first  school,  with 
a  feeling  that  she  had  entered  upon  her  life-work. 
Desiring  a  broader  field  for  usefulness,  she  removed 
to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  she  became  princi- 
pal of  one  of  the  large  city  schools. 

When  about  sixteen  years  of  age  she  experienced 
the  pardoning  grace  of  God,  and  entered  upon  the 
activities  of  an  earnest  Christian  life.  She  now  felt 
that  she  was  not  only  imparting  instruction  to  fit 
her  pupils  for  usefulness  on  earth,  but  was  also  sow- 
ing the  seeds  in  their  young  hearts  that  should  in- 
fluence them  for  all  eternity.  Teaching  was  in- 
vested with  new  charms  and  new  responsibilities, 
and  the  conviction  that  it  was  the  work  God  l^ad 
chosen  for  her  deepened,  until,  she  writes,  "  My 
heart  is  entirely  filled  with  its  blessedness." 

Soon  after  her  conversion  she  became  desirous 
that  her  field  of  labor  might  be  extended  even  unto 
the  ends  of  the  earth.  She  says,  "  I  longed  to  be 
a  missionary,  and  was  impressed  with  the  thought 
that  whenever  I  could  reach  the  height  upon  which 
this  work  stood  it  would  be  ready  for  me." 

Again  she  says  :  "  You  ask  me  to  write  of  the  in- 
fluences that  led  me  to  be  a  missionary.  The  books 
in  my  parents'  library,  which  I  read  when  a  child, 


134     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

had  a  great  influence  on  my  mind.  The  life  of  Hes- 
ter Ann  Rogers,  that  of  Mrs.  Mary  Fletcher,  of  her 
husband,  and  of  the  Wesleys,  and  also  of  Mary 
Lyons,  made  me  desirous,  like  them,  to  do  some 
real  good  in  the  world." 

In  1 87 1,  in  a  conversation  with  her  pastor,  Rev. 
J.  J.  Thompson,  she  spoke  freely  of  her  convictions 
with  regard  to  this  work,  and  expressed  a  desire  to 
serve  under  the  auspices  of  the  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society.  He  at  once  communicated  the 
same  to  the  parties  interested.  Among  other  things 
he  said  :  "  After  a  very  earnest  and  close  conversa- 
tion with  Miss  Blackmar,  touching  her  convictions 
corlcerning  missionary  work  in  India,  I  cannot  doubt 
the  Master  has  work  for  her  in  that  or  some  other 
foreign  field.  Though  we  will  feel  her  loss,  yet,  for 
the  sake  of  the  Master's  cause,  I  will  only  rejoice  if 
the  way  opens  for  her  to  enter  upon  what  I  esteem 
woman's  highest  opportunity  for  good." 

The  way  did  open,  and  she  received  her  appoint- 
ment to  her  chosen  field  in  India  joyfully,  but 
prayerfully  and  conscientiously.  In  a  letter  to  Mrs. 
Prescott,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Western 
Branch,  written  just  as  the  question  was  pending, 
she  says :  "  My  desire  to  go  to  India  is  just  as  strong 
as  when  I  first  wrote  you.  As  the  society  must  have 
the  very  best  returns  for  all  funds  expended,  I  dare 
not  say,  /  ought  to  go.  I  know  God  has  work  for  mc 
to  do  somewhere,  and  I  am  in  his  hands.  I  pur- 
pose not  to  be  idle." 

Miss  Isabella  Leonard,  Assistant  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  Branch,  writing  to  a  friend,  said : 


Lou  E.  Blacktnar.  135 

"  I  am  so  thankful  for  my  visit  with  Miss  Blackmar. 
She  was  present  at  the  memorial  service  held  in 
honor  of  the  late  Mrs.  Waugh — sad,  yet  profitable 
and  interesting.  After  the  papers  were  read  Miss 
Blackmar  was  introduced,  and  talked  some  min- 
utes, touching  all  hearts  with  her  sweet  spirit  of 
entire  consecration  to  the  work.  I  found  she 
had  surrendered  herself  wholly  to  Christ.  In  the 
Saturday  night  meeting  she  told  her  whole  experi- 
ence relating  to  the  subject  of  full  salvation ;  yet, 
after  all  her  consecration,  she  did  not  dare  claim  the 
experience.  Yesterday  afternoon,  during  a  visit  to 
Mrs.  Bishop  Hamline,  she  yielded  at  this  point,  and 
stepped  upon  the  promise,  and  goes  forth  now,  I 
believe,  to  acknowledge  that  Christ  saves  her  from 
indwelling  sin.  And  now  I  must  say,  we  are  send- 
ing a  noble  woman  to  India.  We  may  justly  ex- 
pect that  God  will  use  her  in  a  peculiar  manner." 

Miss  Blackmar  sailed  October  23,  1872,  in  the 
steamer  Wyoming,  for  Moradabad,  India.  The 
farewell  services  were  highly  interesting,  and  were 
held  in  Bedford-street  Church,  New  York  city,  on 
the  21st  of  October.  The  afternoon  meeting  was 
presided  over  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Olin.  Miss  Blackmar  was 
called,  and  addressed  the  meeting.  As  she  spoke 
of  her  call  to  missionary  work,  her  consecration  to 
Christ,  and  her  implicit  trust  in  the  promise,  "  Lo, 
I  am  with  you  alway,"  the  audience  was  deeply 
moved,  and  many  a  prayer  went  up  for  the  depart- 
ing missionary. 

Just  before  leaving  she  wrote  to  Mrs.  Prescott, 
one  of  the  Corresponding  Secretaries : 


136     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"  I  am  quite  well,  and  my  faith  and  courage  are 
not  in  the  least  shaken  as  the  time  of  leaving 
draws  near.  I  think  the  hardest  trial,  after  all,  will 
be  to  leave  my  parents  and  my  childhood  home. 
I  realize  now,  as  I  have  not  before,  that  it  has  cost 
me  something,  and  I  am  thankful  that  I  have  a  lit- 
tle to  give  up.  All  that  it  is,  however,  I  give  will- 
ingly. I  shall  not  likely  write  again  until  I  reach 
India.  I  know  I  have  your  prayers.  *  O  for  a  faith 
that  will  not  shrink  !  '  " 

A  few  hours  before  she  left  New  York,  after  she 
had  parted  from  her  parents,  she  wrote  thus : 
"  When  you  read  this  I  shall  have  left  the  shores  of 
my  native  land.  God  only  knows  whether  I  shall 
ever  greet  them  again,  but  I  do  not  feel  any  anxiety 
in  regard  to  this.  I  hope  my  life  will  be  long 
enough  to  witness  some  work  for  the  Master,  and 
that  my  health  may  be  so  firm  that  I  may  make  the 
utmost  use  of  my  time.  I  realize,  I  think,  that  it 
will  be  just  as  short  a  way,  and  just  as  sweet,  to  en- 
ter rest  in  heaven  from  India  as  from  my  own  dear 
home, 

"  I  left  my  home  with  nature  tried  to  the  utmost, 
but  without  a  regret.  The  trial  was  more  than  I 
had  anticipated  for  my  parents,  especially  my 
mother ;  yet  they  are  not  grieving  that  they  gave 
me  up ;  they  know  the  greatness  of  the  work,  and 
that  it  is  but  a  short  separation." 

Miss  Blackmar  reached  India  safely,  and  entered 
upon  her  work  in  Moradabad,  January  i,  1873.  The 
particular  branch  of  labor  assigned  her  was  zenana 
work,  visiting  the  homes  of  the  native  women,  and 


Lou  E.  Blackmar.  137 

endeavoring  to  win  them  to  Christ.  In  this  she 
has  been  very  successful,  and  has  been  the  instru- 
ment in  God's  hands  of  doing  much  to  enlarge  the 
borders  of  our  Zion  in  India.  During  the  terrible 
famine  of  1878  Miss  Blackmar  was  superintendent 
of  the  American  Zenana  Mission,  in  Lucknow.  She 
was  untiring  in  her  efforts  to  relieve  the  panic- 
stricken  and  starving  population. 

November  21  the  city  magistrate,  Major  Newbery 
and  lady,  both  of  whom  have  taken  the  heartiest  in- 
terest in  the  good  work  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end,  and  have  most  efficiently  done  all  in  their 
power  to  further  it,  waited  upon  Miss  Blackmar  and 
presented  to  her,  with  appropriate  personal  con- 
gratulations, the  following  letter,  which  we  copy 
from  the  "  Lucknow  Witness  :  " 

"  From  Sir  George  Cowper,  Bart.,  C.B.,  K.C.S.I., 
Lieutenant-Governor  N.  W.  Provinces,  and^ Chief 
Commissioner  for  Oudh,  to  Miss  Blackmar. 

"Camp  Lucknow,  November  14,  1878. 
"  Madam  :  I  beg  to  tender  you  my  cordial 
thanks  for  the  great  and  invaluable  assistance  you 
have  rendered  to  the  city  magistrate  and  to  the  lo- 
cal committee  of  Lucknow  in  carrying  out  their 
measures  for  the  relief  of  the  distress  caused  by  the 
recent  scarcity.  You  kindly  undertook  to  distribute 
the  sum  that  was  allotted  for  the  relief  of  purdah- 
nashin  ladies,  and  have  discharged  this  duty  faith- 
fully and  judiciously  for  a  year.  The  labor  it  en- 
tailed was  arduous,  but  you  have  grudged  neither 


138     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

time  nor  trouble,  and  have  given  invaluable  assist- 
ance, which  the  committee  from  time  to  time  have 
brought  to  my  notice,  and  which  merits  the  grate- 
ful thanks  which  I  venture  to  offer  herewith  for 
your  acceptance. 

"  Your  obedient  servant,        GEORGE  COWPER, 

"Lieut.-Gov.  N.  W.  Provinces,  and  Chief 
Commissioner  for  Oudh." 

It  is  exceedingly  gratifying  to  the  Church  at 
home  that  her  missionaries  abroad  receive  such  tes- 
timonials to  their  fidelity  and  efficiency  from  the 
highest  officers  of  the  Government.  It  is  one  of 
the  greatest  stimulants  to  the  workers  at  home  to 
know  these  facts,  and  we  shall  continue  to  hope  for 
Miss  Blackmar  long  life,  great  usefulness,  and  the 
highest  achievernents  in  the  missionary  field. 


T.inzie  M.  Pultz.  W% 


LIZZIE  M.  PULTZ. 

AMONG  the  honorable  and  heroic  women  whose 
hearts  were  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  missions 
in  the  early  history  of  the  Society  was  Miss  Lizzie 
M.  Pultz,  who  went  from  her  home  in  the  peaceful 
vale  of  Windsor,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  far-off  India. 

Her  earliest  recollections,  she  tells  us,  are  of  a 
happy  home  in  a  quiet  country  village,  with  loving 
parents  guarding  and  blessing  her  young  life.  While 
at  a  very  tender  age,  one  morning  she  noticed  that 
those  about  her  seemed  sad.  She  missed  her 
mother,  and  going  to  her  father,  and  clasping  her 
arms  about  his  neck,  she  asked,  "  Where  is  my 
mamma?"  He  replied,  with  much  emotion,  "  My 
dear  child,  your  mother  is  in  heaven."  Young  as 
she  was,  she  realized  most  sensibly  the  loss  she  had 
sustained,  and  together  they  mingled  their  tears 
and  sobs. 

As  we  have  heard  this  incident  related  we  have 
been  reminded  of  a  similar  one  in  the  life  of  Rev. 
E.  H.  Stokes,  now  President  of  the  Ocean  Grove 
Camp-meeting  Association.  He  had  followed  his 
wife  to  the  grave,  and  was,  one  pleasant  summer 
evening,  walking  in  the  garden  with  his  motherless 
child,  then  two  and  a  half  years  of  age.  Little 
Mary  put  her  arms  lovingly  around  her  father's 
neck,  and,  bursting  into  tears,  sobbed  as  if  her 


140    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  "TISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

heart  would  break,  then  exclaimed,  in  the  fullness 
of  her  soul,  "  I  have  no  mother !  "  Turning  her 
eyes  to  the  bright  stars  above,  she  said,  "  Is  my 
mother  there  ?  "  The  fountain  of  grief  in  the  fa- 
ther's heart  was  again  unsealed,  and,  taking  his  pen, 
he  wrote  the  following  exquisite  lines  : 

"  I  have  no  mother  !  "     No  !  my  dearest  child  ; 

Though  the  bright,  sunny  spring-time  is  coming, 
When  birds  fling  out  their  music,  richly  mild, 

With  brilliant  plumes  from  milder  skies  returning: 
But  she  returns  not,  like  the  passage-wing, 
Early  in  spring. 

Yes  !  I  have  heard  thee  in  sad  autumn's  day 

Calling  thy  mother,  when  the  leaves  were  dying  ; 

But  with  the  leaves  thy  mother  passed  away, 
Leaving  bare  branches  in  the  low  wind  sighing, 

To  make  lone  murmurs  in  its  passing  breath — 
The  voice  of  death. 

And  I  have  heard  thee  in  the  winter  time 

Sigh  for  thy  mother  when  the  snow  was  falling  ; 

And  yet  I  hear  thee  in  the  bright  sunshine, 
In  thy  low  sadness,  for  thy  mother  calling  ; 

But,  like  the  lonely  sighing  of  some  lovely  bird. 
Thou  art  unheard. 

Yet  the  warm  sun  will  glow  with  summer's  heat, 
And  bright  flowers  up  from  the  earth  be  springing ; 

Some  little  rose  bloom  by  some  other  sweet, 
The  tender  vine  around  the  parent  clinging, 

And  nestling  birds  be  by  a  mother  fed : 
But  thine  is  dead. 

And  yet  not  dead,  but  passed  away  from  earth 

To  a  better,  brighter  land  forever. 
Where  the  sorrows  of  death,  with  joys  of  birth. 

Are  never  found  mingling  together ; 
Where  the  soul  expands  in  immortal  youth, 
Blooming  in  truth. 


Lizzie  M.  Pultz.  141 

And  thou  shalt  be  transplanted  there,  my  love, 
Where  the  autumnal  winds  are  never  blowing. 

To  see  thy  motlier,  those  bright  stars  above. 
To  which  so  oft  thy  little  thoughts  are  flowing  ; 

And  feel  a  kiss,  sweeter  than  when  she  smiled 
Last  on  her  child. 

Miss  Pultz,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  was  called  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  her  father.  This  left  her  alone 
in  the  world.  But  He  who  has  promised  to  be  a 
father  to  the  fatherless  guided  her  footsteps,  and 
she  early  consecrated  herself  to  God  and  his  service, 
and  received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  she 
could  cry,  '*  Abba,  Father."  From  that  hour  her 
sense  of  loneliness  was  gone  ;  a  joy  unspeakable 
took  possession  of  her  heart ;  and  with  loving  con- 
fidence she  could  look  up  and  say,  "  My  Father, 
thou  shalt  be  the  guide  of  my  youth." 

She  became  much  interested  in  the  cause  of  mis- 
sions, and  felt  a  burning  desire  to  tell  the  story  of 
redemption  to  those  who  had  never  heard  it.  The 
missionary  spirit  was  fanned  into  a  flame  by  a  cor- 
respondence of  some  years  with  a  lady  friend  who 
was  a  missionary  in  India,  and  she  resolved  to  pre- 
pare herself  to  the  best  of  her  ability,  and  then  of- 
fer herself  to  the  Church  for  foreign  work.  With 
this  object  in  view  she  entered  the  Wyoming  Sem- 
inary, where  she  pursued  her  studies  with  untiring 
energy  and  industry,  and  closed  not  only  with  the 
honors  of  the  institution,  but  with  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  the  entire  village.  Rev.  G.  R.  Hair, 
who  was  her  pastor  at  the  time,  says  :  "  She  was  a 
most  conscientious,  devoted,  and  useful  member  of 
the  Church.     Her  life  was  deeply  spiritual.     The 


142     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

last  prayer  offered  in  the  old  church  in  Kingston, 
before  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  was  by  Miss  Pultz. 
I  shall  never  forget  it.  It  was  uttered  with  a  fer- 
vency and  unction  which  will  long  be  remembered 
by  all  who  were  present." 

In  1872  she  was  accepted  by  the  Society  as  a 
suitable  person  to  be  employed  by  them,  and  was 
appointed  to  Bareilly,  India ;  and  on  the  23d  of 
October  she  sailed  in  the  steamer  Wyoming  from 
New  York  to  her  distant  field  of  labor.  Other  mis- 
sionaries were  also  going  out  at  the  same  time. 
Interesting  farewell  services  were  held  in  the  Bed- 
ford-street Church,  New  York  city,  on  the  21st  of 
October.  The  interest  of  the  occasion  was  height- 
ened by  the  presence  of  Babu  Bannerji,  a  native  of 
India,  who  made  a  short  speech,  and  also  by  the 
appearance  of  two  little  sons  of  Brother  Brown,  (a 
returned  missionary,)  who  sang  a  hymn  in  Hindu- 
stani, one  of  them  being  attired  in  Hindu  costume. 
The  thought  of  the  sacrifice  Brother  and  Sister 
Brown  were  about  to  make  in  leaving  these  precious 
boys  behind  while  they  returned  to  India,  made  the 
singing  more  touching,  and  many  prayers  went  up 
for  both  parents  and  children.  Miss  Pultz  was 
called,  and  addressed  the  meeting.  While  she  was 
relating  her  experience  the  audience  manifested  in- 
tense sympathy,  and  seemed  to  realize  that  it  was 
truly  God's  influence  that  had  been  leading  her  to 
this  consecration.  A  friend  who  was  present  when 
she  sailed  wrote  back  to  her  Windsor  friends  as 
follows : 

"  I  had  the  pleasure   of  attending  the  Monday 


Lizzie  M.  Pultz.  143 

evening  meeting.  It  was  certainly  very  delightful, 
'*nd  I  enjoyed  it  very  much,  all  save  the  thought  of 
the  partings  that  were  to  follow.  I  carried  the 
large  cake  for  her  which  the  ladies  gave  her  to  take 
to  India.  She  showed  me  the  beautiful  watch  and 
other  presents  which  she  had  received.  I  am  here 
this  morning  on  the  steamer  Wyoming — came  an 
hour  ago,  that  I  might  have  a  little  visit — but  so 
many  are  here  to  bid  the  missionaries  '  God  speed,* 
that  I  cannot  get  a  chance  to  talk  much  with  Liz- 
zie. I  saw  her  state-room  and  met  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  company,  and  every  thing  betokens  a 
pleasant  voyage.  But  the  bell  sounds,  and  we  must 
go  ashore.  We  gather  at  the  end  of  the  dock,  and 
as  the  steamer  glides  past  us  wave  to  the  little  band, 
who  are  gathered  at  the  stern,  our  last  good  wishes. 
Some  one  starts  that  beautiful  song,  *  The  Sweet 
By  and  By,'  and  the  music  floating  out  so  sweetly 
upon  the  water  carries  to  them  the  assurance  of  a 
meeting  in  the  future  with  the  friends  they  are 
leaving,  if  not  again  in  this  life.  Near  me  stands 
Dr.  Waugh,  who  came  home  from  India  last  year, 
after  a  fourteen  years'  absence,  on  account  of  his 
wife's  health.  He  was  to  have  returned  at  this 
time,  but  the  recent  death  of  his  noble  wife,  leaving 
five  motherless  children  to  be  cared  for,  has  pre- 
vented him.  Mrs.  Waugh  was  one  of  the  most  in- 
telligent, cultured,  and  consecrated  women  that  has 
ever  gone  as  a  missionary  to  the  East,  and  was  re- 
garded by  many  of  our  missionaries  as  *  the  pride 
ind  princess  of  the  mission.'  No  wonder  that  Mrs. 
Bishop  Thomson,  when  speaking  of  her,  wrote  : 


144     VVOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"  'Alas,  for  him  who  sheds 

The  tear  of  loneliness ; 
For  those  whose  bright  young  heads 

Were  pillowed  on  her  breast, 

In  infancy's  soft  rest 

By  mother-love  caressed ; 

For  each  whose  life  she  blessed, 
Who  now  in  sorrow  treads 
The  path  by  grass-grown  beds.' 

"  As  he  stands  there  wiping  the  tears  from  his 
eyes  I  can  well  imagine  the  thoughts  that  fill  his 
heart  as  they  sing : 

"  '  We  shall  meet  on  that  beautiful  shore, 
In  the  sweet  by  and  by.' 

"  I  wave  my  handkerchief  again  for  you  and  Mrs. 
Colburn  and  Lizzie,  and  leave  the  pier,  the  whole 
scene  leaving  a  very  deep  impression  upon  my 
mind.  May  God  bless  her  richly  as  she  goes  forth 
so  bravely,  and  make  her  the  means  of  doing  much 
good  !  " 

After  a  pleasant  voyage  she  reached  India,  and 
entered  at  once  upon  her  work  in  Bareilly.  Here 
she  was  associated  with  Miss  Sparkes  in  the  Girls* 
Orphanage,  where  she  rendered  efficient  service. 
The  next  Conference  assigned  her  a  new  field  of 
labor  among  the  native  women  in  the  zenanas. 
The  Annual  Report  of  the  parent  Society  for  the 
year  1875  says  :  "  Miss  Pultz  has  made  an  extensive 
acquaintance,  and  gained  many  friends  by  her  ze- 
nana work  in  the  city,  and,  with  her  assistants,  is 
aiding  much  in  extending  our  influence."  From 
the  "  Fifth  Annual  Report  oF  the  Work  of  the 
Woman's    Foreign    Missionary  Society  in    India," 


Lizzie  M.  Pultz.  145 

published  at  Lucknow,  1875,  we  make  the  following 
extract :  "  Our  zenana  work  is  steadily  increasing 
in  interest  and  importance  as  a  means  of  reaching 
the  women  in  the  city,  who  can  only  be  taught  in 
their  homes.  Miss  Pultz  has  had  charge  of  this  de- 
partment." 

Miss  Pultz  continued  her  missionary  labors  until 
1875,  when  she  was  compelled  by  the  failure  of  her 
health  to  return  to  America,  where  she  hoped,  after, 
breathing  for  a  short  time  her  native  air,  to  recu- 
perate, and  regain  her  health  sufficiently  for  her  to 
go  back  again  to  her  chosen  field  in  India.  But  in 
this  she  has  been  disappointed.  Through  contin- 
ued ill  health  she  is  unable  to  resume  her  work  in 
the  mission.  Her  former  pastor,  Rev.  G.  R.  Hair, 
says  :  "  She  feels  keenly  the  trial  she  is  compelled 
to  endure  in  not  being  able  to  enter  again  upon  that 
work  that  lies  so  near  her  heart.  In  a  recent  letter 
she  speaks  of  her  '  poor  head  '  as  still  occasioning 
pain,  the  effect  of  the  climate  of  India  and  her 
close  application  to  study  and  work  during  the 
years  of  her  residence  in  that  country." 


146     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


FOURTH  ANNUAL  MEETING  OF  THE  GEN- 
ERAL EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

THIS  meeting  convened  in  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Cincinnati,  May  14,  1873.  It  was  largely  at- 
tended. The  spirit  of  consecration  and  faith 
seemed  to  pervade  all  hearts.  The  reports  from  the 
various  Branches  showed  an  encouraging  advance. 
Earnest  applications  were  received  requesting  the 
extension  of  the  work  of  the  Society  to  Mexico  and 
South  America.  The  final  report  of  the  standing 
committee  on  extension  of  work,  submitted  and 
adopted,  was  as  follows  : 

"  Mexico. — Noting  and  accepting  the  openings  of 
Providence,  we  are  impressed  with  the  expediency 
and  necessity  of  commencing  work  in  Mexico  ;  yet 
not  of  investing  in  real  estate  at  present — confining 
ourselves  rather  to  personal  missionary  labor. 

"  South  America. — We  advise  that  the  urgent  plea 
of  Brother  Woods,  of  Rosario,  for  two  female  help- 
ers, be  heeded,  and  his  hands  thus  strengthened. 

*'  Japan. — We  look  forward  with  hope  to  the 
speedy  entering  and  occupancy  of  Japan.  Still,  as 
our  mission  is  not  yet  established  there,  we  do  not 
deem  it  needful  to  make  arrangements  for  work 
during  the  coming  year. 

'■'Africa. — The  time  and  place  of  entering  Africa 


Executive  Committee — Fourth  Meeting.       147 

not  yet  appearing,  we  also  defer  action  with  regard 
to  work  there." 

Three  new  missionaries  were  appointed  :  Miss  S.  F. 
Leming  and  Miss  N.  Monelle,  M.D.,  to  India,  and 
Miss  L.  L.  Coombs,  M.D.,  to  China.  The  public 
anniversary  was  held  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  Cincinna- 
ti, Mrs.  Skidmore  presiding.  Mrs.  Willing  made  the 
opening  prayer,  and  Miss  Coombs,  under  appoint- 
ment as  first  medical  missionary  to  China,  addressed 
the  audience,  after  which  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard, 
President  of  the  Evanston  College  for  Ladies,  deliv- 
ered an  exceedingly  graceful  and  effective  address. 


148     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


SALLIE  F.  LEMING. 

SALLIE  F.  LEMING  was  sent  to  India  as  a 
representative  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch  of 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  She  was 
born  near  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  November  12, 
1845.  Her  father  gave  his  heart  to  Christ  and  his 
hand  to  the  Church  when  but  fifteen  years  of  age, 
and  has  ever  since  been  one  of  the  pillars  in  the 
house  of  God.  Her  mother  was  a  granddaughter 
of  Rev.  Philip  Gatch,  one  of  the  first  Methodist 
preachers  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  He  died  when  Sal- 
lie  was  but  two  years  of  age.  Her  childhood  and 
early  youth  were  spent  in  a  quiet  country  home, 
surrounded  with  Christian  influences. 

She  was  always  religiously  inclined,  and  says :  *'  I 
do  not  remember  the  time  when  I  did  not  pray ; 
and  my  convictions  of  sin  date  back  to  my  earliest 
recollections.  When  about  nineteen  years  of  age 
God  gave  me  the  evidence  of  my  acceptance,  clear 
as  the  noon-day  sun,  and  it  has  never  since  been 
clouded.  The  blessing  that  came  to  me  that  day 
was,  Christ  formed  in  me  the  hope  of  glory. 

"About  this  time  the  work  of  holiness  began  to 
revive  in  the  East.  I  read  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion and  its  work  with  interest,  but  felt  no  especial 
need  of  this  experience.    Some  time  after,  while  at- 


Sallie  F.  Leming.  149 

tending  a  revival  in  our  own  church,  in  which  I 
worked  with  an  earnestness,  a  joy,  and  a  success 
such  as  I  had  never  before  known  in  bringing  souls 
to  Christ,  I  was  led  to  seek  earnestly  for  heart 
purity.  I  resolved  that  I  would  never  stop  short 
of  being  sanctified  wholly.  I  read  eagerly  every 
thing  that  would  give  light  on  the  subject,  and 
endeavored  to  walk  in  the  light  as  I  received  it. 

"  One  day,  after  searching  to  see  if  I  could  find 
any  thing  more  to  bring  to  Jesus,  for  consecration 
had  now  become  a  joy,  I  found  my  heart  asking, 
'  What  shall  I  do  that  I  may  work  the  work  of 
God?'  and  with  a  life-giving  power  came  this  an- 
swer :  *  This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe  on 
him  whom  he  hath  sent.'  Then  came  the  witness 
to  my  soul  that  the  work  was  done.  The  blood  was 
applied  to  my  perfect  cleansing.  O,  the  sweet  con- 
sciousness of  inward  purity !  The  soul-rest  into 
which  I  entered  was  wonderful.  All  glory  to  the 
cleansing  blood  !  " 

Up  to  this  time  her  education  was  only  such  as 
could  be  obtained  in  a  country  school.  After  this 
baptism  she  coveted  earnestly  the  best  gifts,  and 
resolved  to  seek  an  education  that  would  fit  her  for 
the  highest  degree  of  usefulness.  Accordingly  she 
entered  the  Cincinnati  Wesleyan  College,  from 
which  she  graduated  with  honor  in  1873.  After 
completing^r  education  she  offered  herself  to  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  for  service  in 
India.  She  was  accepted  and  appointed  to  Bareilly. 
She  sailed  August  27,  1873. 

Miss  Leming  reached  India,  and  commenced  her 


I50     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

work,  but  her  health  failed,  and,  after  battling  with 
disease,  and  hoping  against  hope  for  recovery,  she 
was  obliged  to  return  home.  So  all-absorbing  had 
been  the  one  thought  of  preparing  herself  to  the 
utmost  for  usefulness  in  her  chosen  field  that  she 
did  not  realize  how  rapidly  her  physical  strength 
was  giving  way  and  yielding  to  the  pressure. 

Mrs.  Bishop  Clark,  President  of  the  Cincinnati 
Branch,  writes :  "  It  was  remarkable  how  she  devel- 
oped spiritually  and  intellectually.  Her  father,  a 
devoted  Christian  man  of  moderate  means,  sold  a 
portion  of  his  farm  in  order  to  meet  her  expenses 
for  one  year  at  college.  During  that  year,  the  pres- 
ident told  me  her  religious  influence  was  widely 
felt.  Her  health  failed  on  her  outward-bound  jour- 
ney, and  she  was  obliged  to  return.  Her  heart  was 
almost  broken,  and  she  still  feels  the  dull  pain  of 
past  disappointment. 

In  a  letter  written  to  us  Miss  Leming  says: 
"  While  at  college  the  privileges  I  enjoyed  seemed  so 
rich  that  I  was  jealous  of  every  moment  of  time.  I 
studied  and  taxed  my  mind  and  strength  to  their  ut- 
most tension  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  teach- 
ers and  friends.  The  result  was  that  my  health  failed, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  I  finished  the  third 
year.  I  knew  I  was  worn  and  weary;  but  thought, 
with  my  physician,  that  a  little  rest  would  restore  me. 
I  sailed  very  soon  after  graduating,  having  home 
and  friends  caused  a  keen  pain,  but  it  was  sweet- 
ened by  the  consciousness  that  I  was  going  at  the 
Lord's  bidding.  My  health  did  not  improve  at  sea, 
as  was  hoped  it  would,  and  by  the  time  I  reached 


Sallie  F.  Leming.  151 

Ii,-dia  I  was  almost  unfit  for  any  mental  exertion. 
Miss  Sparkes  knows  what  a  terrible  disappointment 
it  was  to  me,  and  how  it  almost  broke  my  heart  to 
be  obliged  to  come  home." 

Though  her  stay  was  short  in  India,  she  was  there 
long  enough  to  endear  herself  to  the  hearts  of  all 
who  came  within  the  sphere  of  her  influence,  and  to 
prove  to  them  that,  but  for  the  failure  of  her  health, 
she  would  have  been  a  most  successful  and  valuable 
missionar}^. 

The  following  extract  is  from  a  private  letter, 
written  by  Miss  Sparkes,  of  the  Bareilly  Orphanage  : 
"  Miss  Leming  was  in  Bareilly  the  only  year  she 
was  in  India.  She  was  bright,  intelligent,  unusually 
sweet-spirited  and  lovely  in  disposition,  and  she  ex- 
erted a  strong  spiritual  influence  over  all  with  whom 
she  mingled.  She  was  appointed  to  the  zenana 
work  in  Bareilly,  but  was  not  strong  enough  to  do 
much.  She  made  frequent  attempts  to  visit  the 
women  in  their  homes,  but  almost  every  time  would 
come  in  looking  so  pale  and  exhausted,  and  some- 
times so  weak,  she  could  scarcely  walk  across  the 
room  to  her  bed.  She  was  soon  obliged  to  give 
that  up.  In  April,  1874,  she  went  to  the  mount- 
ains (Nynee  Tal)  for  the  season.  We  all  felt,  and 
often  said  among  ourselves,  that  she  would  never 
live  to  come  down  to  us  again.  At  the  close  of  the 
season,  however,  she  returned  and  soon  began  work 
again,  but  was  too  feeble  to  continue  it.  When  so 
weak  that  she  was  unable  to  sit  up,  she  would  lie 
on  the  bed  and  study  Hindustani  hour  after  hour, 

pr  the  greater  part  of  the  day.     The  latter  part  of 
10 


152     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

the  year  she  assisted  a  little  in  the  Orphanage,  but 
soon  had  to  give  that  up  also.  Immediately  after 
the  next  Conference,  held  in  January,  she  was  ad- 
vised to  leave  for  America.  It  was  a  terrible  trial 
for  her  to  give  up  the  hope  of  laboring  for  the  peo- 
ple of  India.  Only  those  who  were  with  her  con- 
stantly, and  know  how  she  struggled  to  be  brave, 
and  to  say,  '  Thy  will  be  done,'  can  realize  how  se- 
vere the  trial  was." 

Since  her  return  to  the  United  States,  in  May, 
1874,  Miss  Leming  has  regained  her  health,  and  is 
now  married,  but  still  continues  to  give  much  of  her 
time  and  energy  to  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of 
our  Society ;  often  addressing  missionary  meetings, 
and  presenting  India's  wants  and  woes  so  forcibly 
and  clearly  that  her  auditors  cannot  withhold  their 
offerings  from  our  treasury. 


Nancie  Monelle,  M.D.  153 


NANCIE   MONELLE,  M.D. 

NANCIE  MONELLE,  M.D.,  is  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  was  born  in  the  year  1841. 
Her  paternal  ancestors  belonged  to  the  ancient 
family  of  Monelle,  of  the  province  of  Tours,  France. 
Her  great-grandfather  came  to  America  with  the 
young  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  and,  admiring  the 
country  very  much,  did  not  return  to  France.  Her 
father  was  an  accomplished  scholar,  and  a  man  of 
unusual  literary  attainments,  but  died  while  she  was 
an  infant. 

Her  mother  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
Miss  Monelle  says,  "  She  did  not  talk  much  about 
her  religious  life,  but  she  lived  it  continually ;  all 
Avho  came  under  her  influence  knew  that  she  walked 
and  talked  with  God."  Her  mother's  great  desire 
was  to  have  her  children  thoroughly  educated,  and 
prepared  for  lives  of  honor  and  usefulness.  She  was 
sent  to  school  at  an  early  age,  and  advanced  rapidly 
in  her  studies.  When  about  seventeen  years  of  age 
she  entered  the  Collegiate  Institute  of  the  City  of 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  from  which  she  graduated 
in  the  year  1861.  After  this  she  pursued  a  course 
of  teaching  in  academies,  seminaries,  and  colleges. 
Sometimes  she  had  a  "  night-class,"  composed  of 
young  men  and  women  who  were  ambitious  to  be- 
come educated,  but  who  were  obliged  to  work  all 


154     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

day  in  a  shop  or  factory.  These  she  invited  to  her 
house,  and  gave  them  free  instruction  three  even- 
ings in  every  week;  thus  commencing  missionary 
work  at  home. 

With  regard  to  her  conversion,  she  says,  "While 
at  Vassar  College  my  mind  became  very  much  dis- 
turbed by  the  preaching  and  teaching  of  the  Rev. 
John  Raymond,  President  of  the  College.  At  this 
time  the  college  was  also  visited  by  a  dear  elderly 
lady,  named  Bannister.  She  addressed  the  students 
twice  on  the  subject  of  religion,  urging  them  to  give 
themselves  to  Christ.  I  listened  attentively  and 
pondered  all  her  sayings.  I  obtained  an  interview 
with  her  in  her  own  room.  She  perfectly  compre- 
hended my  spiritual  condition,  encouraged  me,  and 
urged  me  to  apply  the  remedy.  I  was  '  almost  per- 
suaded,' but  I  hesitated,  and  my  mind  again  became 
filled  with  doubts  and  fears,  turmoil  and  darkness, 
and  I  was  desperately  miserable.  This  dreadful 
condition  lasted  several  months,  but  gradually  I 
came  out  of  the  darkness  into  the  light,  and  my 
soul  was  filled  with  a  sweet  peace,  and  I  was  able 
to  sing, 

"  '  Fully  persuaded — Lord,  I  believe  ! 
Fully  persuaded — thy  Spirit  give, 
I  will  obey  thy  call, 
Low  at  thy  feet  I  fall, 
Now  I  surrender  all 
Christ  to  receive. 
"  '  Fully  persuaded — no  more  oppressed ! 
Fully  persuaded — now  I  am  blest ! 
Jesus  is  now  my  Guide, 
I  will  in  Christ  abide 
My  Lord  is  satisfied, 
In  him  I  rest.' 


Nancie  Monelle,  M.D.  155 

"  While  at  Vassar  College  I  formed  the  resolution 
to  study  medicine  thoroughly,  and  strive  to  become 
a  skillful  practitioner,  thus  expecting  to  extend  my 
sphere  of  influence  and  usefulness.  This  resolution 
formed,  the  question  arose,  '  Where  will  you  prac- 
tice it?'     A  still  small  voice  replied,  *  In  India.'  " 

As  soon  as  practicable  she  matriculated  at  the 
"Woman's  Medical  College  of  New  York,"  founded 
by  Doctors  Elizabeth  and  Emily  Blackwell.  Here 
she  remained  four  years,  six  months  of  the  time  be- 
ing spent  in  a  hospital  attached  to  the  college.  In 
the  spring  of  1872  she  graduated,  receiving  her  di- 
ploma, and  also  a  case  of  surgical  instruments,  as  a 
reward  for  preparing  and  presenting  the  best  writ- 
ten report  of  all  the  cases  attending  the  surgical 
clinique.  While  she  was  a  medical  student  in  New 
York  she  joined  the  Forty-third-street  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  of  which  the  Rev.  L.  H.  King, 
D.D.,  was  pastor.  He  had  known  Miss  Monelle 
and  her  family  for  many  years. 

During  the  summer  of  1873,  while  at  Round 
Lake  camp-meeting,  she  says :  "  I  was  spiritually 
refreshed  and  greatly  blessed.  I  returned  to  New 
York,  and  immediately  presented  myself  before 
Dr.  King  as  a  candidate  for  India,  as  a  medical 
missionary.  He  went  with  me  to  see  Mrs.  William 
B.  Skidmore,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  New 
York  Branch  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society.  She  received  us  in  her  usual  courteous 
and  sweet  manner.  I  told  her  I  was  not  good 
enough  to  go  out  as  a  missionary,  but  that  as  a 
physician  I  could  go  ahead  as  a  pioneer,  and  open 


156    WOMAN^S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

zenanas,  and  thus  make  a  way  for  others  who  were 
more  pious  to  follow,  and  teach  and  preach  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  to  the  heathen.  I  felt  greatly- 
honored  and  very  happy  when  I  was  appointed  to 
go  to  India  under  the  auspices  of  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society.  I  wept  for  joy.  I 
left  New  York  with  six  other  missionaries  on  the 
20th  day  of  August,  1873.  As  the  steamer  left  the 
wharf  I  was  filled  with  joy.  It  was  the  happiest 
moment  of  my  life." 

Miss  Monelle  landed  in  Bombay  on  October  20, 
1873,  and  went  to  the  beautiful  city  of  Lucknow, 
where  she  remained  just  one  year.  Here  she  was 
admitted  to  several  zenanas,  and  had  a  good  med- 
ical work  started.  But  Lucknow  disagreed  seriously 
with  her  health  ;  she  became  disheartened,  and  be- 
gan to  think  that  she  would  be  obliged  to  leave 
India.  "  I  could  not  bear  to  yield  to  this  thought," 
she  writes,  "  I  wanted  to  be  an  instrument  for  the 
Master's  use,  to  be  a  torch-bearer  in  his  service.  I 
wanted  to  elevate  and  educate  the  poor,  miserable 
women  of  India,  and,  therefore,  the  thought  of  leav- 
ing the  mission  field  filled  me  with  pain." 

At  length  what  seemed  to  her  a  great  and  effect- 
ual door  was  opened  to  her.  She  was  summoned 
to  Hyderabad  to  hold  an  important  Government 
position.  She  was  told  that  a  lady  physician  would 
be  welcomed  with  joy  in  the  native  State  of  Hyder- 
abad— that  she  would  be  able  to  do  great  good  in 
the  zenanas  belonging  to  the  king  and  noblemen — 
that  she  could  talk  religion  if  she  were  judicious, 
but  she  would  not  be  permitted  to  teach  it.     She 


Nancie  Monclle,  M.D.     •  157 

accepted  the  proposition,  and  immediately  for- 
warded her  written  resignation  to  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  through  Mrs.  Skidmore. 
Miss  Monelle  remained  in  Lucknow  three  months 
after  this,  hoping  that  a  lady  physician  would  be 
sent  out  to  take  her  place.  She  says  :  "  In  leaving 
the  mission  it  seemed  as  though  Pharaoh  and  his 
hosts  were  behind  me,  and  the  Red  Sea  before  me. 
To  go  away  into  a  purely  Mohammedan  State,  in  an 
unknown  region,  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  all 
alone,  seemed  to  me  the  most  daring  and  dangerous 
enterprise  of  my  life.  Rut  I  resolved,  God  helping 
me,  to  undertake  it.  I  was  five  days  and  nights  in 
reaching  my  destination.  Hyderabad  is  a  purely 
Mohammedan  city,  without  a  single  European  in- 
habitant. It  has  a  king,  a  court,  a  nobility,  a  gen- 
try, and  nearly  a  million  of  the  common  people, 
besides  several  regiments  of  Sepoys.  It  is  a  walled 
city,  with  several  gates  that  are  always  shut  and 
locked  before  midnight.  One  mile  from  the  city 
the  British  Resident  and  his  suite  reside,  and  all 
the  various  government  employe's.  Four  miles  from 
the  city  is  a  large  cantonment  of  several  European 
regiments,  and  at  various  points  near  Hyderabad 
are  stationed  European  regiments.  So  that  Hy- 
derabad is  the  largest  native  city  and  also  the  largest 
military  station  in  India.  I  was  received  and  en- 
tertained by  His  Excellency  Sir  Charles  Saunders, 
C.B.,  British  Resident  at  the  Court  of  Hyderabad, 
and  by  his  kindness  I  was  introduced  to  the  officers 
and  to  the  gentry  of  the  station,  and  to  the  various 
lords  and  ladies  of  England  who  were  visiting  In- 


158     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIEIY. 

dia.  I  was  received  in  the  native  city  by  His  Ex- 
cellency Sir  Salar  Jung,  Prime  Minister  and  Co-Re- 
gent, who  furnished  elephants,  a  regiment  of  Se- 
poys, and  a  band  of  music  to  escort  me  through 
Hyderabad  to  the  palaces  of  the  various  noblemen 
of  the  city.  The  British  Resident,  the  Military  Sec- 
retary, and  the  Surgeon-General  of  Madras  accom- 
panied me,  and  introduced  me  formally  to  the  na- 
tive gentlemen.  The  Government  gave  me  carte 
blanche,  and  so  I  rented  rooms  in  the  busiest  bazar 
in  the  city,  furnished  them  properly,  and  put  out  the 
sign 

'HIS  HIGHNESS  THE  NIZANFS  HOSPITAL  FOR 
WOMEN,' 

in  four  languages.  I  sat  and  waited  for  patients. 
I  prayed  the  Lord  to  send  them  to  me,  and  he  did. 
In  a  few  weeks  I  had  as  many  as  I  could  attend  to. 
I  spent  three  hours  every  day  in  my  hospital,  ex- 
cept on  Sabbath.  I  soon  had  a  large  private  prac- 
tice in  the  zenanas  of  the  noblemen  of  the  city.  I 
was  always  received  by  the  women  with  great  in- 
terest and  kindness,  and,  whenever  I  could,  I  talked 
to  them  of  our  God  and  our  Redeemer  and  our  re- 
ligion. They  would  listen  attentively,  and  often 
asked  many  intelligent  questions.  The  women 
flocked  to  the  hospital  in  such  numbers  that  during 
the  three  years  I  was  in  Hyderabad  I  treated  forty 
thousand  patients  y 

It  is  due  to  Miss  Monelle  to  say,  that  the  money 
spent  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
for  her  passage  to  India  and  her  outfit  was  refunded 
when  she  left  the  service  of  the  Society. 


Nancie  Monelle,  M.D.  159 

In  November,  1877,  she  left  her  medical  work  in 
Hyderabad  to  be  married  to  the  Rev.  Henry  Man- 
sell,  M.A.,  of  the  North  India  Conference,  a  most 
faithful,  devoted,  and  successful  missionary.  Mr. 
Mansell  was  returning  to  his  work  in  India,  after  a 
brief  visit  to  the  United  States  for  the  restoration 
of  health  and  recuperation,  and  was  a  fellow-voyager 
with  Miss  Monelle  when  she  first  went  to  India,  in 
1873.  They  were  married  in  Bombay  on  the  3d  of 
November,  1877. 

Since  then  Mr.  Mansell  has  been  stationed  in 
Gonda,  Oude.  We  have  this  testimony  by  one  of 
the  missionaries  of  the  parent  board  :  "  Mrs.  Man- 
sell  is  doing  much  good  here,  and  is  a  precious  help 
to  her  husband  in  all  his  work.  I  know  she  will 
not  gi^e  herself  due  credit  for  her  religious  life  and 
attainments.  Her  love  and  loyalty  to  Christ  are 
supreme,  notwithstanding  she  seldom  speaks  in 
prayer  or  class  meeting  ;  yet  I  do  not  know  of  any 
one  who  loves  these  meetings  better,  or  who  profits 
more  by  them.  Her  sainted  mother's  prayers  are 
answered  in  her  behalf.  Five  years  ago,  when  she 
first  reached  India,  I  was  telling  her  what  rare  op- 
portunities she  would  have  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
those  prisoners  of  the  zenanas  who  never  could 
have  it  in  any  other  way.  '  O,'  said  she,  '  my 
brightest  hope  is  to  open  the  doors  of  the  zenanas 
by  my  medical  knowledge  and  skill,  and  those  bet- 
ter and  more  worthy  than  I  can  carry  the  better 
medicine  to  the  souls  of  these  sin-sick  ones.'  It 
was  principally  her  influence  that  brought  to  Je- 
sus last  year  one  who  promises  to  be  a  most  efifi- 


l60    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

cient  preacher  of  the  Gospel  here.     He  is  now  our 
most  impressive  preacher  to  the  heathen." 

But  whether  in  Afzulgunge  Hospital  or  in  the 
missionary  station  with  her  husband,  we  trust  she 
xwill  do  what  she  can  to  carry  forward  the  good 
work.  John  saw  one  casting  out  devils  in  Christ's 
name,  and  because  he  was  not  following  the  other 
disciples  John  forbade  him  ;  but  Christ  said,  "  For- 
bid him  not :  for  he  that  is  not  against  us  is  on  our 
part."  So  we  rejoice  in  the  success  of  all  mission- 
aries sent  out  by  us,  whether  they  remain  with  our 
Society  or  not,  if  Christ  is  preached,  the  heathen 
elevated,  souls  saved,  and  the  millennial  glory  has- 
tened ;  for  thus  the  object  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
is  accomplished. 


Lucinda  L.  Coombs,  M.D.  i6i 


LUCINDA  L.  COOMBS,  M.D. 

' '  Every  age 
Appears  to  souls  who  live  in  it  most  unheroic. 
Every  age,  through  being  held  too  close,  is  ill  discerned 
By  those  who  have  not  lived  past  it. 

'Tis  even  thus 
With  times  we  live  in,  evermore  too  great 
To  be  apprehended  near," 

THE  history  of  the  life  we  now  present  to  our 
readers  furnishes  an  illustration  of  the  truth 
of  the  sentiment  sung  by  Mrs.  Browning.  Heroes 
and  heroines  have  lived  in  all  ages,  especially  since 
the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era.  Of  Christ  it  was  taunt- 
ingly said,  "  He  saved  others,  himself  he  cannot 
save  !  "  "  Looking  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and  fin- 
isher of  our  faith,  who  for  the  joy  that  was  set  be- 
fore him  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame, 
and  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of 
God,"  it  is  not  surprising  that  his  followers  should 
emulate  his  spirit,  and  should  possess  in  an  eminent 
degree  the  same  self-sacrificing  heroism,  which  is 
born  of  undying  love  for  souls  and  uncompromising 
faith  in  God. 

Of  all  the  number  sent  out  by  our  Society  none 
have  manifested  more  of  this  spirit  than  Miss 
Coombs.  Left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  she  sup- 
ported and  educated  herself.     She  consecrated  her 


1 62     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

life  to  God,  and  the  language  of  her  heart  was,  "  My 
Father,  be  thou  the  guide  of  my  youth : "  and  in 
her  case  the  promise  was  fulfilled,  "  When  my  fa- 
ther and  my  mother  forsake  me,  then  the  Lord  will 
take  me  up."  After  her  conversion  to  Christ  her 
constant  thought  was  preparation  for  missionary 
work.  Her  attention  was  turned  especially  to  In- 
dia, and  she  resolved  to  prepare  herself  to  the  best 
of  her  ability  for  that  field  of  labor.  After  teaching 
some  time  she  entered  Cazenovia  Seminary,  where, 
unaided,  save  by  her  own  energy,  tact,  and  indus- 
try, she  kept  at  the  head  of  her  classes,  and  gradu- 
ated with  the  highest  honors. 

During  the  vacations  which  intervened,  while 
other  students  were  resting  and  recuperating,  Miss 
Coombs  toiled  on  unremittingly,  for  she  had  set  up 
her  standard,  and  she  was  determined  to  reach  it. 
With  her  to  resolve  was  to  do.  When  she  made  up 
her  mind  what  was  best  to  be  done,  the  thing  was 
half  accomplished.  Her  motto  was  "  Excelsior  ;  " 
and  her  perseverance  and  indomitable  will  easily 
overcame  what  to  many  would  have  seemed  insur- 
mountable obstacles.  What  if  she  could  not  see 
the  end  from  the  beginning — was  not  He  faithful 
who  had  called  her,  and  could  he  not  bring  it  to 
pass?  She  resolved  to  offer  herself  to  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  for  service  in  India. 
Hearing  much  said  about  the  value  of  a  medical 
education  for  lady  missionaries,  she  determined  to 
secure  such  an  education  first,  and  to  leave  nothing 
undone  which  would  aid  in  qualifying  her  to  the  ut- 
most for  usefulness  in  her  future   work.     With  the 


Lucinda  L.  Cootnbs,  M.D.  163 

determination  to  do  with  her  might  what  her  hands 
found  to  do,  and  to  trust  in  God  for  what  she  could 
not  do  herself,  she  entered  a  medical  college  in 
Philadelphia.  If  all  the  facts  which  have  come  to 
us  concerning  Miss  Coombs'  seminary  and  college 
life  were  given  to  our  readers,  they  would  prove 
her  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  heroines  of  the  pres- 
ent age. 

The  ladies  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  and  Mrs.  Annie  Wittenmeyer,  President  of 
the  Woman's  National  Christian  Temperance  Union, 
noticing  her  devotion  to  Christ,  and  her  eager  pur- 
suit after  knowledge,  became  intensely  interested  in 
her.  They  felt  that  God  was  in  an  especial  manner 
calling  and  preparing  her  to  fulfill  a  noble  destiny. 
They  extended  to  her  their  warmest  sympathy  and 
co-operation. 

After  completing  her  third  course  in  college  she 
sailed  for  Peking,  China,  June  5,  1873.  Mrs.  Wit- 
tenmeyer says :  "  The  dream  of  her  life  had  been 
the  going  to  India  as  a  missionary;  yet  when  the 
Society  decided  that  she  must  go  to  China,  she 
made  no  objection  or  complaint.  She  simply  said 
to  me,  '  I  had  hoped  to  go  to  India,  but  it  is 
all  the  same.  It  is  work  for  the  Master,  and  the 
souls  of  the  Chinese  women  are  as  dear  to  him  as 
the  souls  of  the  women  of  India.'  I  was  in  San 
Francisco  when  she  started  on  her  mission,  and 
had  the  privilege  of  talking  with  her  before  she 
left,  and  of  seeing  her  safely  settled  in  the  state- 
room of  the  ship,  and  of  waving  her  a  farewell  from 
the  wharf  as  the  vessel  steamed  away.     No  more 


1 64     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

heroic  soul  has,  in  my  opinion,  ever  left  our  shores 
for  Christian  work  abroad." 

Miss  Coombs  reached  Peking  the  last  of  August, 
and  entered  at  once  upon  her  work.  As  was  antic- 
ipated, she  has  been  very  successful,  and  has  accom- 
plished much  for  the  cause  of  missions.  After  la- 
boring as  a  single  missionary  for  about  five  years, 
she  was  married  to  the  Rev.  A.  Strittmater,  of  the 
parent  Society,  and  together  they  are  still  toiling 
for  the  redemption  of  China. 


Executive  Committee — Fifth  Meeting.        165 


FIFTH  ANNUAL  MEETING  OF  THE  GENERAL 
EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

THE  General  Executive  Committee  opened  its 
fifth  annual  session  in  Philadelphia,  May  6, 
1874.  Two  new  Corresponding  Secretaries  were 
present  at  this  meeting — Mrs.  J.  E.  Latimer  taking 
the  place  heretofore  filled  by  Mrs.  Warren,  as  Sec- 
retary of  the  New  England  Branch,  and  Mrs.  W.  B. 
Skidmore  was  appointed  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  New  York  Branch,  in  place  of  Mrs.  Dr.  But- 
ler, who  was  called  to  engage  in  missionary  work  in 
Mexico. 

Among  the  interesting  incidents  of  the  meeting 
was  the  reading  of  a  letter  from  a  converted  Chinese 
woman,  Wong  Tingai,  of  Hung  Moi,  China,  trans- 
lated by  Mrs.  Baldwin.  At  the  suggestion  of  the 
President,  Mrs.  Dr.  Hibbard,  the  following  stanzas 
were  sung,  amid  deep  feeling : 

' '  He  breaks  the  power  of  canceled  sin, 

He  sets  the  prisoner  free  ; 
His  blood  can  make  the  foulest  clean  ; 

His  blood  availed  for  me. 

*'  O  that  the  world  might  taste  and  see 

The  riches  of  his  grace  ! 
The  arms  of  love  that  compass  me 

Would  all  mankind  embrace." 

Mrs.  Bishop  Simpson,  having  returned  from  Mex- 
ico, presented  in  a  most  interesting  manner  the  re- 
sult of  her  observations  in  that  field.     A  number 


l66     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

of  missionary  candidates  were  presented,  the  Cor- 
responding Secretaries  giving  short  verbal  sketches 
cf  those  accepted  by  the  Society,  and  letters  from 
some  of  the  young  ladies  were  read.  Some  min- 
utes were  spent  in  silent  prayer  for  the  new  mis- 
sionaries, accompanied  with  thanksgiving  to  God 
for  his  gracious  gifts  to  them  and  to  this  Society, 
followed  by  prayer  by  Mrs.  Skidmore.  Before  en- 
gaging in  prayer,  Mrs.  Willing  offered  the  follow- 
ing resolution : 

^^  Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  is  hereby  instruct- 
ed to  write  a  letter  of  sympathy  to  the  parents  of 
Miss  Josephine  Copp,  who,  under  appointment  for 
India,  has  been  transferred  to  the  home  above." 

After  prayer  these  words  were  sung, 

"His  only  righteousness  I  show, 

His  saving  truth  proclaim  : 
'Tis  all  my  business  here  below 

To  cry,  '  Behold  the  Lamb  ! ' 

"  Happy,  if  with  my  latest  breath 

I  may  but  gasp  his  name  ; 
Preach  him  to  all,  and  cry  in  death, 

'  Behold,  behold  the  Lamb  ! ' " 

On  the  morning  of  the  13th  the  regular  business 
session  was  postponed  in  order  to  give  time  to  com- 
plete the  report  of  the  Finance  Committee. 

"  The  morning  was  spent  in  prayer,  followed  by 
a  love-feast.  The  meeting  was  opened  by  Mrs. 
Hibbard,  by  reading  the  third  chapter  of  Ephe- 
sians.  The  hymn,  '  Love  divine,  all  love  excelling,' 
was  sung,  and  after  the  opening  prayer  the  time 
was  fully  occupied  in  voluntary  prayers  and  testi- 


Executive  Committee — Fifth  Meeting.        167 

monies.  A  full  record  of  this  meeting  cannot  be 
given,  for  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  pen  to  describe 
the  heavenly  influence  that  filled  the  place.  The 
secret  springs  of  the  power  of  the  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  were  revealed,  and  with  the 
psalmist  every  heart  adoringly  exclaimed,  '  All  my 
springs  are  in  Thee  ! '  " 

The  following  missionaries  were  appointed :  Le- 
titia  Mason  and  Sigourney  Trask,  medical  mission- 
aries to  China;  Anna  Julia  Lore,  medical  mission- 
ary to  India ;  Susan  M.  Warner  and  Mary  Hastings, 
to  Mexico;  Jennie  M.  Chapin  and  Lou  B.  Denning, 
to  South  America ;  and  Dora  Schoonmaker,  to 
Japan. 

The  anniversary  was  held  in  the  Broad  and  Arch 
streets  Church.  A  large  audience  was  preset,  and 
manifested  great  interest  in  the  exercises.  Dr.  Hat- 
field, pastor  of  the  Church,  presided.  Addresses 
were  delivered  -by  Mrs.  G.  M.  Steele,  Mrs.  F.  G. 
Hibbard,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Skidmore,  and  Mrs.  Johnson, 

returned  missionary  from  India. 
11 


1 68    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


SIGOURNEY  TRASK,  M.D. 

SIGOURNEY  TRASK,  M.D.,  was  born  June  14, 
1849,  ^^  Youngsville,  Warren  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania. Her  mother,  who  was  a  very  godly  woman, 
died  while  Sigourney  was  a  little  child  ;  and  in  the 
course  of  time  she  found  a  home  with  her  paternal 
grandparents,  who  also  resided  in  Youngsville. 
From  early  life  she  gave  evidence  of  a  superior 
mind  and  an  eager  thirst  for  knowledge. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  she  was  converted,  and 
joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Two  years 
afterward  she  attended  a  select  school,  taught  by 
her  pastor,  Rev.  C.  M.  Heard.  Her  studious  habits, 
close  application,  and  perfect  recitations,  placed  her 
in  the  very  front  rank  among  her  associates  in 
school,  and,  in  connection  with  her  well-known  fidel- 
ity and  efficiency  in  her  Church  relations,  impressed 
the  mind  of  her  teacher  and  pastor  that  Providence 
designed  her  for  a  more  than  ordinary  sphere  of 
usefulness,  for  which  she  would  need  more  than  an 
average  education. 

Knowing  that  she  was  without  means  to  se- 
cure a  higher  education,  this  kind  friend  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pershing,  President  of  the 
Female  College,  at  Pittsburgh,  giving  him  a  brief 
history  of  Miss  Trask,  and  a  statement  of  his  im- 
pressions with  regard  to  her  future  work,  in  the 


Sigourney  Trask,  M.D.  169 

hope  that  there  might  be  in  the  hands  of  the  presi- 
dent a  fund  for  the  education  of  young  ladies  who 
gave  promise  of  great  usefulness  to  the  Church,  and 
who  had  not  the  means  to  procure  all  the  education 
they  desired.  The  result  was,  that  a  wealthy  Chris- 
tian gentleman  of  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  who  with- 
held his  name  from  the  knowledge  of  all  save  Dr. 
Pershing,  engaged  to  pay  the  expenses  of  Miss 
Trask's  education  at  the  College  until  she  graduated. 
It  was  afterward  discovered  that  this  gentleman  was 
the  late  S.  M.  Kier,  whose  memory  is  precious,  be- 
ing associated  with  many  such  deeds  of  disinterest- 
ed benevolence.  While  this  was  pending  her  grand- 
mother died,  and  in  a  few  weeks  after  the  funeral 
Sigourney  was  settled  in  her  new  college  home. 
Here  she  more  than  justified  all  the  expectations 
she  had  awakened  in  the  hearts  of  her  friends ; 
and  after  a  period  of  three  years  she  graduated 
with  honor,  receiving  two  prizes  —  one  for  supe- 
riority in  languages,  the  other  for  proficiency  in 
mathematics. 

Miss  Lizzie  K.  Pershing,  daughter  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  Pittsburgh  Female  College,  writes :  "  I  first 
became  acquainted  with  Miss  Trask,  when  she  en- 
tered our  college  in  1866.  The  purpose  of  enter- 
ing the  mission  field  was  then  the  ruling  motive, 
the  inspiration,  of  her  life.  Your  questions  as  to 
her  call  to  the  work,  I  think,  first  awakened  me  to 
the  full  realization  of  the  fact  that  she  did  sometime 
have  a  call,  and  was  not  born  with  the  purpose.  I 
have  been  so  accustomed  to  associate  her  with  mis- 
sionary labor,  prospective  or  actual,  that  it  is  hard 


I70    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

to  separate  her  from  it  in  my  thought.  I  knew  her 
as  a  student,  (and  a  most  earnest  one  she  was,)  but 
her  studies  were  always  understood  to  be  simply 
preparatory  to  her  chosen  life-work.  She  was  one  of 
the  few  girls  who  stood  in  no  doubt  of  their  future. 
She  walked  in  a  path  clearly  marked  out  for  her, 
and  seemed  never  to  look  backward.  Miss  Trask 
was  graduated  from  our  college  with  high  honor  in 
1870.  She  has  a  strong,  keen  intellect;  an  ardent, 
impulsive  heart ;  and  a  deeply  religious  nature.  To 
know  her  slightly,  is  to  esteem  her;  to  know  her 
well,  is  to  love  her." 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  her  former 
pastor.  Rev.  C.  M.  Heard,  dated  October  9,  1869, 
written  from  the  Pittsburgh  College,  gives  an  inter- 
esting statement  from  her  own  pen  of  her  call  to 
missionary  work: 

"  The  way  the  thought  first  came  to  my  mind, 
and  the  subsequent  unfoldings  of  Providence,  have 
put  it  beyond  my  power  to  doubt  God's  will.  I 
dare  not  do  it.  The  thought  was  not  always  with 
me,  that  is,  did  not  give  fashion  to  my  first  ideas  of 
life.  One  evening,  nearly  three  years  before  you 
came  to  our  place,  I  was  sitting  alone  in  my  own 
little  room,  thinking.  The  question  I  was  deliber- 
ating was,  *  What  shall  I  do  ? '  It  was  not  consid- 
ered in  the  present  tense,  but  looked  altogether 
toward  the  future.  No  perplexing  cross-roads  pre- 
sented themselves  at  that  time.  The  connection 
which  the  present  then  had  with  the  question  was 
simply  what  it  always  sustains — the  preparation 
time.     Of  this  one  thing  I  felt  conscious,  that  every 


Sigourney  Trask,  31.  D.  171 

one  whom  God  sends  into  the  world  he  sends  for 
some  purpose.  I  wanted  to  know  his  purpose  to- 
ward me.  I  had  been  reading  the  Bible.  Closing 
it,  and  kneeling  down,  I  prayed  earnestly  that  God 
would  teach  me  for  what  I  should  prepare  myself. 
Looking  in  faith  for  divine  guidance,  I  thought  over 
every  avocation  that  presented  itself.  Nothing  was 
satisfactory.  All  were  exhausted.  Teaching  school, 
the  last  and  most  favorably  considered,  possessed 
an  indefinable  something  which  made  even  it  not 
fully  satisfactory.  I  was  on  the  point  of  rising  with 
this  thought  in  mind,  almost  involuntarily  expressed, 
*  It  must  be  that  I  am  going  to  die  young.  There 
is  nothing  for  me  to  do,'  when  a  new  thought  struck 
me  with  almost  electrifying  force.  '  The  mission 
field  ! '  I  exclaimed,  as  if  repeating  the  sound  of  an 
inner  voice  which  had  spoken  the  word,  and  clasped 
my  hands  in  gratitude.  The  mental  light  which 
accompanied  the  conviction — rather,  which  forced 
the  conviction — seemed  to  me  to  be  something  like 
that  great  light  which  changed  the  heart  and  life 
of  Paul.  I  speak  it  reverently.  The  same  God  sent 
both.  For  several  weeks,  perhaps  months,  from 
that  time  it  seemed  as  if  I  were  in  a  new  world. 
The  new  life  had  not  come  yet,  but  it  was  certainly 
a  new  phase  in  life  to  have  something  definite  as  an 
object.  I  did  not  tell  any  one  for  a  long  time.  It 
seemed  to  me  too  sacred  to  talk  about.  I  told  my 
sister,  and  no  one  else  till  I  told  you.  In  the  mean- 
time I  was  not  always  strong-hearted ;  sometimes 
very  weak  and  wavering,  especially  when  soberly 
reasoning  with  facts  before  me,  and  looking^ at  the 


1/2     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

probabilities  and  the  improbabilities.  At  length, 
when  in  January  of  1864  God  made  me  his  child,  I 
felt  anew  the  sacred  obligation  resting  upon  me." 

After  her  graduation  the  question  arose  as  to  the 
field  she  should  enter.  The  suggestion  was  made 
that  she  "  study  medicine,  and  go  out  as  medical 
missionary."  She  entered  a  medical  college  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  At  the  end  of  one  year  she  was 
transferred  from  the  Cleveland  college  to  Dr. 
Blackwell's  College,  in  New  York,  from  which  she 
graduated  in  the  spring  of  1874.  Shortly  afterward 
she  received  her  appointment  to  Foochow,  China. 

On  board  the  steamer  she  wrote  to  friends  as  she 
was  nearing  the  eastern  shores  of  Asia :  "  The  act- 
ual work  of  my  life  is  to  begin  soon.  I  am  so  glad 
it  is  at  hand  !  I  do  believe  every  feeling,  faculty, 
and  possibility  of  my  nature  is  consecrated  a  living 
— I  do  not  like  to  say  sacrifice— a  living  energy  to 
accomplish  the  mission  God  has  given  me  among 
the  Chinese.  .  .  .  '  Bound  in  spirit,'  Paul  said ;  un- 
der bonds  of  the  Spirit  I  go.  This  bondage  is  my 
liberty  ;  the  bonds  are  my  joy  and  my  strength.  I 
am  grateful ;  but  a  life,  not  words,  must  show  the 
gratitude  that  makes  my  spirit  sing.  Why  God  has 
given  me  so  much — why  one  so  perverse  and  un- 
worthy should  be  so  greatly  blessed  — •  remains  a 
mystery.  Nevertheless,  it  is  of  his  mercy  he  saves 
us — 

"  '  There 's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea.'  " 

Miss  Trask  has  been  wonderfully  successful  in  her 
work.     As  a  Society,  our  most  sanguine  hopes  with 


Sigourney  Trask,  M.D.  173 

regard  to  the  results  of  her  labors  have  been  more 
than  realized. 

Dr.  Baldwin  said,  at  the  Shanghai  Conference  of 
missionaries,  in  1877  •  "  I  ^r"  g^^d  to  bear  witness 
to  the  great  usefulness  of  female  physicians.  Miss 
Trask  entered  our  mission  only  two  years  ago,  but 
by  having  some  one  to  interpret  for  her  she  began 
work  at  once,  and  has  treated  a  large  number  of 
cases  very  successfully.  At  the  outset  she  was 
asked  to  treat  a  case  of  dropsy  that  seemed  so  ut- 
terly hopeless  that  I  went  to  the  friends  of  the  pa- 
tient and  told  them  that  there  was  no  hope  of  ef- 
fecting a  cure  ;  that  all  we  could  hope  to  do  was,  to 
give  some  relief  to  the  sufferer,  who  might  possibly 
pass  away  in  a  few  hours.  They  said  they  knew 
there  was  no  hope  of  recovery,  but  would  be  grate- 
ful for  any  measure  of  relief  that  might  be  afforded. 
With  this  understanding  Dr.  Trask  undertook  the 
case,  and  treated  it  so  successfully  that  the  patient 
is  still  alive,  and  has  come  more  than  once  to  ex- 
press her  gratitude  to  the  physician. 

"  One  result  of  this  is,  that  whereas  we  mission- 
aries passed  through  the  street  where  this  woman 
lived  for  years  without  attracting  any  other  atten- 
tion than  that  of  the  dogs  that  came  out  to  bark  at 
U3,  when  Miss  Trask  has  gone  to  that  neighborhood 
the  people  have  risen  up  to  show  civility  to  her. 
She  has  a  hospital  capable  of  receiving  forty  pa- 
tients, with  all  the  necessary  medicines  and  surgical 
appliances.  Miss  Trask  has  been  called  to  attend 
the  wives  of  mandarins,  and  to  go  a  long  distance 
into  the  country  to  attend  poor  women,  and  has 


174    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

responded  to  all  such  calls  as  far  as  possible.  The 
whole  work  hos  a  most  excellent  influence,  and  this 
branch  of  missionary  service  cannot  be  too  strongly 
commended. 

"  Miss  Trask  is  unwilling  to  write  about  her  own 
part  of  the  work,  and  her  letters  are  full  of  the  kind- 
ness and  devotion  of  the  ladies  in  the  mission,  who 
daily  spend  hours  teaching  the  Gospel  to  those  who 
come  to  her  for  medical  help.  Its  success  arises 
from  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the  united'efforts  of 
all  the  Christian  workers.  Her  success  in  treat- 
ment, with  her  kind,  gentle  manner,  has  won  for  her 
the  respect  and  love  of  her  patients  and  their 
friends.  The  hospital  is  a  fine,  commodious  build- 
ing, with  wards  for  in-patients,  nurses'  room,  drug 
room,  and  rooms  for  the  resident  physician  and  her 
assistants,  and  all  other  accommodations  necessary 
for  work.     This  was  dedicated  in  May,  1877. 

"  As  the  inauguration  of  this  hospital  for  Chinese 
women  and  children  was  a  most  important  event, 
and  the  first  of  its  kind,  we  give  a  condensed  history 
of  the  enterprise.  In  January,  1874,  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Mission  at  Foochow  asked  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  lady  physician.  The  request  was  cor- 
dially responded  to  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  in  November  of  the  same  year  Miss  Sigourney 
Trask,  M.D.,  arrived  in  Foochow.  In  1875  the 
mission  asked  for  an  appropriation  of  $5,000  to  buy 
a  site  and  erect  a  hospital  and  residence  for  the 
physician.  This  request  was  also  readily  granted  ; 
$4,000  of  the  amount  needed  being  assured  by  the 


Sigourney  Trask,  M.D.  175 

New  York  Branch,  $500  by  the  Philadelphia  Branch, 
and  $500  by  the  Baltimore  Branch.  The  first  lot 
was  purchased,  and  work  begun  upon  the  building 
in  August,  1876.  The  building  is  ninety-eight  feet 
by  fifty-seven.  It  is  a  substantial  two-storied  house, 
in  every  way  suitable  for  its  destined  purpose.  It 
contains  in  the  lower  story  drawing-room,  library, 
and  dining-room  for  the  resident  physician ;  drug- 
room,  surgery,  special  ward-rooms,  examining  room, 
and  waiting  room  for  patients  ;  with  room  for  native 
assistants.  The  upper  story  contains  three  bed- 
rooms, connected  with  the  physician's  residence, 
two  large  ward-rooms,  bath-rooms,  rooms  for  nurses, 
etc.  Upon  the  occasion  of  the  dedication  of  this 
building  a  large  number  of  prominent  persons  were 
present,  both  Europeans  and  natives.  Mr.  Delano, 
United  States  Consul,  presided.  His  Excellency 
the  Fantai,  accompanied  by  several  Commissioners 
of  the  Fohkien  Province,  were  present.  These  re- 
mained throughout  the  whole  of  the  opening  cere- 
mony, and  manifested  considerable  interest  in  the 
details  of  the  building,  as  also  in  its  charitable  ob- 
ject. Thus,  under  such  favorable  auspices,  was  the 
medical  work  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  inaugurated  in  Foochow.  The  dispensary  is 
open  daily  for  transient  patients.  These  come  in 
large  numbers,  so  that  the  waiting-room  is  always 
filled  with  an  audience  ready  to  hear  the  words  of 
the  missionary  and  Bible  reader.  Dr.  Trask  never 
forgets  that  the  chief  object  of  her  mission  is  to 
save  souls.  These  women  come  from  all  directions  ; 
they  are  burdened  with  sorrows,  sick  in  body,  and 


176     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

almost  hopeless.  Mrs.  Baldwin  visits  the  hospital 
daily,  and  talks  to  the  patients  concerning  their 
spiritual  interests,  while  Miss  Trask  administers  to 
their  physical  maladies," 

We  copy  from  the  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend  " 
the  following  extract  from  a  letter  giving  an  inter- 
esting account  of  one  '^f  Mrs.  Baldwin's  daily  visits : 

"  After  a  little  more  kindly  talk  with  her  and  the 
others,  we  go  into  the  next  ward.  Some  of  these 
women  have  been  here  for  some  weeks,  and  greet 
me  very  kindly,  and  one  (not  sick,  but  who  has  a 
sick  child)  hastens  to  bring  me  a  seat.  On  the 
first  bed  is  a  woman  with  a  terribly  ulcerated  leg, 
that  Dr.  Trask  first  feared  would  have  to  be  ampu- 
tated ;  but  now  there  is  hope  that  this  will  not  be 
necessary.  She  is  a  pretty,  bright  young  woman, 
with  bound  feet.  Two  of  the  women  are  here  with 
sick  children.  The  mother  of  one  is  specially  at- 
tractive and  pretty.  She  also  has  bound  feet.  An- 
other woman  has  had  a  large  tumor  removed  from 
Jier  back.  She  is  now  nearly  well,  and  very  com- 
fortable and  happy  she  looks,  compared  with  what 
she  did  when  she  first  came  here.  She  can  read 
some,  and  has  heard  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  these 
days  at  the  hospital,  and,  I  hope,  not  in  vain.  Her 
husband  says  he  made  offerings  to  many  gods,  but 
all  to  no  good,  for  his  wife.  We  sit  down,  and  I 
tell  them  of  our  common  parentage  in  Adam  and 
Eve,  of  the  entrance  of  sin  into  the  world,  and  of 
the  One  who  can  alone  save  us  from  sin.  They  list- 
en most  quietly,  and  apparently  with  greatlSjiterest. 
We  fill   up  an  hour  with  them,  and  then  take  our 


Sigourncy  Trask,  M.D.  177 

leave,  inviting  them  to  be  seated,  and  they  us  to 
walk  slowly — the  Celestial  good-bye.  And  thus  our 
morning  at  the  hospital  ends. 

"  Recently  Dr.  Trask  has  been  called  to  two  very 
sad  cases.  One  a  woman  who  had  attempted  to 
commit  suicide,  because  she  had  trouble  with  her 
husband.  She  had  taken,  probably,  potash.  She 
suffered  greatly,  and  her  mother-in-law  scolded  her 
for  putting  them  all  to  so  much  trouble.  *  And 
now,*  said  she,  '  you  are  sick,  and  we  shall  all  have 
to  wait  on  you  ! '  Dr.  Trask  gave  her  relief,  but 
the  effect  of  what  she  had  taken  on  her  stomach 
was  very  bad,  and  may  cause  her  much  suffering  in 
the  future.  The  second  case  was  of  a  nice-looking 
young  woman  who  had  been  terribly  cut  with  a 
knife  by  her  opium-smoking  husband.  There  were 
great  gashes  on  her  head  and  back.  When  Dr. 
Trask  went  to  her,  at  the  call  of  one  of  the  family, 
the  others  would  not  let  her  touch  the  wounds,  and 
she  was  compelled  to  leave  without  doing  any  thing 
for  the  poor  woman.  The  sorrows  of  the  women 
of  this  land  are  indeed  grievous,  and  they  can  only 
be  lightened  by  the  incoming  of  Christ  himself,  who 
has  said  to  all  suffering  humanity,  'Come  unto  me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.'  " 

This  work  has  greatly  interested  many  of  the  lead- 
ing men  of  the  Empire.  A  prominent  Chinese 
merchant  said  to  Miss  Trask,  "  It  would  be  a  great 
blessing  to  the  women  of  China  if  there  was  another 
hospital  and  many  more  ladies  engaged  in  so  good 
a  work."     A  donation  of  two  hundred  dollars  has 


178     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

recently  been  received  by  Dr.  Trask  for  the  Wom- 
an's Hospital,  from  high  officials  of  the  Fuhkien 
Province.  This  came  to  her  through  the  United 
States  Consul,  and  as  it  may  be  of  interest,  we  give 
the  letter : 

j  "CONSUI-ATE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 
(  FoocHOW,  May  21,  1878. 

"  My  Dear  Miss  Trask  :  I  have  much  pleasure 
in  handing  you  herewith  a  check  for  two  hundred 
dollars,  ($200,)  which  sum  has  been  sent  to  me  at 
the  instance  of  His  Excellency  Pao  Heng,  Acting 
Governor  of  this  Province,  as  a  contribution  made 
up  by  various  high  officials  of  the  Province,  in  aid 
of  the  Hospital  for  Chinese  Women,  over  which  you 
so  ably  preside,  with  the  request  that  I  would  for- 
ward it  to  you.  It  must  be  a  source  of  gratification 
to  you,  as  it  is  to  myself,  that  the  native  authorities 
take  so  lively  an  interest  in  the  good  work  in  which 
you  are  engaged. 

*'  Wishing  you  great  success,  believe  me  yours 
sincerely,  M.  M.  De  LanO.  * 

"  To  Dr.  Sigourney  Trask,  Foochow." 

Bishop  Wiley,  writing  to  Rev.  C.  M.  Heard,  says : 
"  I  wish  I  could  see  you  and  tell  you  what  a  fine 
lady  Miss  Trask  is,  and  how  grandly  she  is  getting 
on  in  her  work.  I  hope  she  may  have  long  life  and 
health  in  Foochow." 

*  Eighth  Annual  Report  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society. 


Anna  Julia  Lore,  M.D  179 


ANNA  JULIA  LORE,  M.D. 

ANNA  JULIA  LORE  is  a  native  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  South  America,  and  was  born  in  the 
year  1849.  Her  father,  Dallas  D.  Lore,  D.D.,  was 
by  nature  rarely  endowed — physically,  mentally,  and 
morally ;  possessing  a  keen  intellect,  classical  feat- 
ures, and  a  pure,  gentle  spirit.  He  joined  the  Phil- 
adelphia Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  1837.  From  the  time  of  his  conversion 
he  was  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  missionary  spir- 
it, and  in  1840  he  was  nominated  as  a  missionary 
to  Africa,  but  circumstances  prevented  his  entering 
upon  the  work.  In  1847  he  went  as  a  missionary  to 
Buenos  Ayres,  where,  two  years  after,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  born. 

Miss  Lore's  mother  was  a  beautiful,  refined,  and 
accomplished  Christian  lady.  She  accompanied 
her  husband  to  Buenos  Ayres,  and  entered  joy- 
fully into  all  his  plans  for  the  spread  of  the 
Gospel  and  the  salvation  of  the  world.  Here  they 
remained  seven  years,  during  which  time  their 
daughter  Anna  Julia  was  born. 

After  founding  the  Methodist  mission.  Dr.  Lore 
returned  from  Buenos  Ayres,  and  was  sent  upon  a 
tour  of  observation  in  New  Mexico,  with,  a  view  to 
the  establishment  of  a  mission  in  that  Territory, 
after  which  he  entered  the  pastorate,  and  in  1864 


l8o     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

was  elected  editor  of  the  "  Northern  Christian  Ad- 
vocate," which  position  he  held  until  his  death. 

It  was  while  in  the  city  of  Buffalo,  and  when 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  that  Julia  was  converted 
to  Christ  and  joined  "  Grace  Church,"  of  which  her 
father  was  pastor.  The  change  was  very  thorough, 
and  from  that  time  her  chief  desire  was  to  follow 
Jesus  in  all  things,  and  fully  to  consecrate  her  life 
to  him.  Young  as  she  was,  she  delighted  in  doing 
all  she  could  to  bring  others  to  Christ,  and  was  par- 
ticularly interested  in  teaching  a  class  of  Httle  girls 
in  a  German  Mission  School. 

As  she  grew  to  maturity  her  interest  in  mission 
work  increased.  Says  one  who  knew  her  well  and 
intimately,  "  I  cannot  remember  the  time  when  she 
did  not  eagerly  read  all  within  her  reach  in  regard 
to  foreign  missions."  She  began  to  have  a  burning 
desire  to  carry  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  into  the 
regions  beyond — to  those  benighted  souls  sitting  in 
darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death.  Long  before 
she  mentioned  the  subject  to  her  dearest  earthly 
friends,  (for  she  would  not  cause  them  unnecessary 
pain,)  her  heart  was  often  stirred  to  its  inmost 
depths  by  the  thought  of  offering  herself  to  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  for  this 
work. 

Those  who  saw  her  gliding  through  the  house, 
singing  a  cheerful  tune,  or  with  skilled  fingers 
sweeping  the  keys  of  the  piano,  filling  her  home 
with  the  radiance  of  her  smile  and  the  melo- 
dy of  her  voice,  had  no  idea  that  she  was  all  this 
time  painfully  anxious  to  accomplish  good  in  the 


Anna  Julia  Lore,  M.D.  i8i 

world,  and  was  so  soon  to  relinquish  home  and  all 
its  endearments  for  this  purpose.  Few  outside  of 
the  home  circle  knew  of  the  depth  of  her  piety.  It 
was  not  obtrusive,  but  its  genuineness  impressed 
all  who  came  under  her  influence.  Those  who 
knew  her  best,  knew  that  she  walked  and  talked 
with  God. 

"  Sweet  promptings  unto  kindest  deeds 

Were  in  her  very  look  ; 
They  read  her  face,  as  one  who  reads 

A  true  and  holy  book  : 
The  measure  of  a  blessed  hymn, 

To  which  their  hearts  could  move  ; 
The  breathing  of  an  inward  psalm  ; 

A  canticle  of  love." 

At  last,  after  many  severe  heart  struggles,  in 
the  summer  of  1870,  the  day  she  completed  her 
twenty-first  year,  the  decision  was  made,  and  the 
Lord  wonderfully  blessed  her  in  this  consecration, 
and  filled  her  with  a  joy  unspeakable.  One  who 
knew  much  of  her  heart  at  this  time  writes  us,  "  I 
fully  believe  if  ever  a  minister  was  called  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  Julia  was  called  to  be  a  foreign  mis- 
sionary." 

Desiring  to  prepare  herself  to  the  utmost  for 
usefi>Iness  in  her  chosen  field  of  labor,  she  com- 
menced the  study  of  medicine.  After  three  years  of 
close  application,  she  was  graduated  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan,  and  subsequently  spent  nine  months  in 
the  Woman's  Hospital,  in  Boston. 

In  1874  she  offered  herself  to  the  Woman's  For- 
eign Missionary  Society,  was  accepted,  and  ap- 
pointed to  Moradabad,  India.     At  the  great  Inter- 


I82     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

national  Camp-meeting,  held  at  Round  Lake  in  1874, 
Julia  was  present  with  her  parents.  One  morning 
an  unusually  interesting  love-feast  was  held  before 
the  stand.  Bishops  Kavanaugh  and  Doggett,  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South ;  and  Bishops 
Janes  and  Foster,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  were  present  and  spoke ;  also  representa- 
tives from  Canada,  Europe,  Asia,  Australia,  and 
other  parts  of  the  world.  It  was  a  glorious  meet- 
ing. The  power  of  God  was  manifested  in  a  won- 
derful manner. 

Toward  the  close  a  group  of  missionaries  about  to 
sail  for  their  various  fields  of  labor  were  called,  and 
each  spoke  a  few  words.  Among  them  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Thomas,  of  our  India  Mission  ;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Banerjia,  natives  of  India  ;  Miss  Trask,  M.D.,  under 
appointment  to  China ;  and  Rev.  C.  P.  Hard  and 
Miss  A.  J.  Lore,  under  appointment  to  India.  The 
meeting  continued  to  grow  in  interest,  and  as  these 
persons  gave  their  testimonies  it  reached  a  climax. 
The  power  of  the  Most  High  overshadowed  the  au- 
dience. The  people  seemed  electrified.  The  cler- 
gymen on  the  platform  sprang  to  their  feet,  and, 
with  tears  in  their  eyes  and  halleluias  on  their  lips, 
clasped  each  other  by  the  hand,  and  pledged  them- 
selves to  meet  again  on  the  heights  of  immortality. 
They  sang 

"  Our  souls  by  love  together  knit, 
Cemented,  mixed  in  one." 

The  benediction  was  pronounced,  and  the  meeting 
declared  closed  ;  but  of  the  thousands  assembled 
there  but  few  moved  from  their  seats.     They  all 


Anna  Jtilia  Lore,  M.D.  183 

with  one  accord  began  to  sing  the  hymn  ending 
with  the  chorus — 

"  Pure  robes,  white  robes, 
Washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb," 

and  the  baptism  of  power  fell  upon  the  people.  The 
scene  was  indescribable.  There  was  no  confusion 
— no  noise  save  the  singing — but  there  was  a  sound 
within  a  sound.  A  joy  unutterable  filled  their 
hearts,  and  the  light  of  heaven  shone  upon  their 
faces  as  they  sang  over  and  over  again  the  words  of 
the  chorus.  As  the  singing  ceased  Dr.  Deems,  of 
the  "  Church  of  the  Strangers,"  of  New  York  City, 
attempted  to  describe  his  feelings  as  he  drew  near 
the  altar  and  heard  the  singing,  saying  that  he  never 
expected  to  hear  the  like  until  he  heard  the  songs 
of  the  redeemed  in  heaven.  In  his  own  inimitable 
style  he  added,  "  O  paid  choirs  !  O  operas !  O 
Jenny  Linds  !  O  all  the  rest  of  you !  what  is  joiir 
singing  compared  with  that  of  these,  who  sing  with 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  burning  within  their  souls,  and 
the  joy  of  the  Lord  welling  up  from  the  fountain  of 
their  hearts  ?  "  Others,  turning  to  the  missionaries, 
bade  them  go  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
poured  their  benedictions  and  blessings  upon  them. 
One  of  our  Bishops  said  he  thought  that  the  Church 
of  Christ  had  never  before  received  such  a  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  since  the  days  of  Pentecost. 

During  the  days  following  Julia  seemed  to  be 
"  the  observed  of  all  observers."  Noticing  her 
youth  and  beauty,  her  intellectual  and  personal 
charms,  it  was  no  wonder  that  the  lovers  of  Jesus 

were  interested,  and  that  they  were  ready  to  turn 
12 


1 84    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

from  others  who  were  filling  positions  in  the  Church 
with  ability  and  talent,  to  render  honor  to  her  who, 
laying  on  the  altar  of  sacrifice  whatever  of  genius 
or  acquirement  or  loveliness  she  possessed,  was  go- 
ing forth  cheerfully  on  her  errand  of  love  to  the 
heathen.  A  farewell  meeting  of  great  interest  was 
held  in  Auburn,  New  York ;  and  others,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  So- 
ciety, in  Halsey-street  Church,  Newark,  New  Jersey, 
and  in  Saint  Paul's  Church,  New  York. 

Miss  Lore  sailed  from  the  port  of  New  York  Oc- 
tober 20,  1874.  It  was  a  beautiful  day.  The  sun- 
light came  streaming  down  upon  the  water  from  the 
softest  autumn  sky,  and  seemed  the  visible  expres- 
sion of  God's  blessing  upon  the  missionaries  as  the 
ship  Minnesota  faded  in  the  distance  from  sight. 
A  great  many  friends  assembled  on  the  ship  to  say 
good-bye.  Among  them  were  the  Missionary  Sec- 
retaries, Bishop  Harris,  and  many  clergymen  of 
New  York  and  vicinity. 

One  incident  occurred  at  this  time  which,  taken 
in  connection  with  the  death  of  her  father  so  soon 
after,*  made  an  impression  upon  our  mind  which 
we  shall  never  forget.  After  the  friends  had  left 
the  steamer  and  she  was  about  moving,  we  saw 
Miss  Lore  looking  anxiously  in  all  directions  for 
something  or  somebody.  Presently  we  saw  her  fa- 
ther coming  with  all  possible  speed.  He  had  gone 
on  an  errand  of  love,  to  get  something  which  he 
wished  her  to  take  with  her,  thinking  he  had  plenty 
of  time.  But  the  steamer  moved  off  sooner  than 
*  Dr.  Lore  died  soon  after,  suddenly. 


Anna  Julia  Lore,  M.D.  185 

he  expected,  and  he  only  just  reached  it  in  time  to 
say  farewell !  As  he  ran  up  the  plank  and  reached 
the  deck,  Julia  fastened  her  arms  about  his  neck. 
They  embraced  each  other  most  affectionately,  but, 
though  their  hearts  were  full  almost  to  bursting, 
they  kept  back  the  tears,  and  smiled  upon  each 
other,  speaking  only  words  of  love  and  cheer.  It 
was  time  for  him  to  go,  and  as  he  turned  to  do  so, 
Julia's  loving  arms  once  more  encircled  him  ;  they 
kissed  each  other  passionately,  smiled,  and  parted. 
All  eyes  save  theirs  were  moist.  Friends  standing 
at  the  pier  began  singing — 

"  We  shall  meet  on  that  beautiful  shore, 
In  the  sweet  by  and  by." 

The  missionaries  stood  waving  their  handkerchiefs, 
and  joined  in  the  singing,  until  the  distance  divided 
us  so  that  we  could  no  longer  hear  their  voices. 
This  was  too  much  for  Julia's  father.  He  stepped 
behind  the  throng,  with  his  beautiful  daughter  Bes- 
sie on  his  arm,  and  leaned  against  the  building. 
He  wore  his  accustomed  smile  upon  his  face,  not  a 
muscle  moved,  but  the  fountains  of  his  heart  were 
stirred.  Nature  would  have  her  way  ;  and  the  tears, 
like  rain-drops,  were  trickling  down  his  cheeks. 
We  took  his  hand,  but  did  not  speak.  We  had 
passed  through  a  similar  experience,  and  we  knew 
that  at  such  a  time 

"Words  arc  so  powerless,  so  vain  to  console, 
And  the  tears  that  we  shed  seem  to  lighten  the  soul." 

Just  at  this  moment  Dr.  Dashiell,  our  Missionary 
Secretary,  came,  and,  taking  his  hand,  said,  "  Dr. 


l86    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Lore,  your  tears  are  as  honorable  as  the  gift  you 
have  made."  "  Yes,"  said  the  brave  man,  "  I  am 
not  ashamed  of  them." 

After  a  pleasant  voyage  Miss  Lore  reached  India, 
and  was  stationed  at  Moradabad,  where  she  entered 
heartily  upon  her  work.  All  the  reports  we  have 
seen  concerning  her  and  her  work  from  its  com- 
mencement until  the  present  time  prove  her  to  be 
a  most  indefatigable  and  successful  toiler  in  the 
mission  field.  She  has  also  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  her  medical  work. 

In  September,  1876,  she  was  married  to  the  Rev. 
G,  H.  M'Grew,  whom  she  had  met  in  America  be- 
fore leaving  her  native  land ;  and  who  was  after- 
ward sent  out  as  a  missionary  by  the  parent  Board : 
a  young  gentleman  of  rare  intellectual  and  moral 
endowments,  and  a  most  efficient  worker  in  the 
cause  of  Christ  in  India.  She  has  since  continued 
her  medical  missionary  work  with  unabated  zeal. 
She  is  full  of  the  spirit  of  her  work,  and  her  heart 
yearns  with  unutterable  tenderness  over  those  for 
whom  she  labors,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  following 
account  she  gives  of  her  visit  to  the  Girls'  Orphan- 
age at  Bareilly : 

*'  I  sat  this  morning  in  the  really  beautiful  chapel 
of  the  Girls'  Orphanage,  which  had  been  beautifully 
decorated  for  Christmas,  in  true  American  fashion. 
Before  me,  in  orderly  rows,  sat  Miss  Sparkes'  girls, 
on  the  floor ;  the  favorite  attitude  is  with  the  knees 
drawn  up  and  the  hands  clasped  under  them.  The 
little  girls  sat  in  front,  proud  of  their  brilliant  new 
chuddars,  pink,  lined  with  yellow.     They  wear  pink 


Anna  Julia  Lore,  M.D.  187 

trowsers  gathered  around  their  waists — the  string 
tied  in  front — and  Httle  jackets;  their  young  faces 
looking  out  from  their  odd  chuddars  gives  one  un- 
accustomed to  them  an  eerie  feeHng,  not  altogether 
comfoi table.  The  older  girls  wear  white,  generally, 
and  I  have  never  seen  a  company  of  girls  any  where 
who  looked  one  whit  prettier  or  brighter.  The  les- 
son was  the  review  of  last  month's  study  of  the 
Berean  Series.  As  I  sat  looking  into  those  bright 
faces,  my  heart  filled  up  until  I,  a  doctor  woman, 
had  an  ache  in  my  throat  and  tears  behind  my 
glasses,  just  for  love  to  them.  My  eyes  rested  on  a 
*  Silent  Comforter,'  and  they  read,  *  Thou  shalt  make 
them  drink  of  the  river  of  thy  pleasures.  For  with 
thee  is  the  fountain  of  life.'  My  heart  has  been 
enlarged  since  reaching  India.  I  have  loved  people 
always,  ever  so  many,  but  now  it  seems  as  if  /  truly 
love  souls" 

During  the  time  when  the  cholera  was  raging  so 
fearfully  in  Bareilly,  and  many  of  the  girls  fell 
victims  to  the  terrible  scourge,  Mrs.  M'Grew  was 
untiring  in  her  efforts  to  relieve  the  sufferers.  Leav- 
ing her  own  precious  babe  at  the  house  of  a  govern- 
ment official — a  friend  of  hers — she  went  to  the 
Orphanage,  and  stayed  night  and  day,  looking  after 
and  nursing  the  patients  with  the  tenderest  care. 
Forgetting  her  own  ease  and  comfort,  constantly 
exposed  to  the  contagion  of  the  disease,  she  toiled 
on,  not  fearing  the  "  pestilence  that  walketh  in 
darkness,  nor  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noon- 
day," trusting  in  the  promise, '"  There  shall  no  evil 
befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy 


1 88     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

dwelling."  Mrs.  M'Grew  is  very  popular  in  India, 
not  only  among  her  fellow-laborers,  but  among  the 
natives.     She  wins  all  hearts. 

Speaking  of  one  of  her  patients  in  Bareilly,  she 
says:  "I  have  an  interesting  patient  in  the  city 
now — a  Hindu  lady,  young  and  childless,  but  with 
a  large  supply  of  that  self-satisfaction  which  I  have 
come  to  regard  as  the  unvarying  factor  in  a  pros- 
perous heathen's  character.  She  began  yesterday 
to  talk  in  a  supercilious  way  of  the  custom  of  re- 
marrying widows,  as  prevalent  among  us,  adding, 
*  We  people  think  it  a  very  great  sin.'  In  reply,  I 
asked  her  if  the  widows  she  knew  did  not  lead 
dreadful  lives,  and  did  not  a  great  many  people  sin 
by  making  their  lives  so  dreadful?  She  assented, 
and  said,  '  Yes,  they  are  like  dogs;  death  would  be 
happier.'  One  thing  led  to  another,  until  I  had  a 
good  chance  to  tell  her  of  Christ's  love — God's  love 
in  sending  Christ  to  die  for  us,  and  the  constraining 
power  of  that  love  in  us.  Such  opportunities  make 
me  very  happy." 


Letitia  Mason,  M.D.  189 


LETITIA   MASON,  M.D. 

IETITIA  MASON  was  the  first  medical  mis- 
-^  sionary  sent  out  by  the  Cincinnati  Branch. 
She  went  from  the  city  of  Chicago,  where,  after 
completing  her  medical  course,  she  received  her 
diploma,  and  practiced  during  the  following  winter 
in  the  hospital.  She  was  appointed  to  Kiukiang, 
China,  and  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  October  5, 

1874- 

Mrs.  Bishop  Clark  says:  "We  looked  upon  Miss 
Mason  as  *  thoroughly  furnished.*  She  attended 
one  of  our  missionary  meetings,  held  at  Columbus. 
I  shall  never  forget  her  as  she  stood  by  me  on  the 
platform,  in  the  bloom  of  youthful  health  and  beau- 
ty, her  eyes  full  of  tears,  and  her  heart  aglow  with 
love  and  longing  desire  to  help  in  bringing  those 
nigh  who  were  afar  off.  As  she  told  of  her  experi- 
ence, and  how  she  was  led  to  forsake  all  for  this 
great  work,  many  eyes  in  the  audience  were  full 
also." 

Full  of  life  and  strength,  buoyant  and  enthusi- 
astic, she  went  forth ;  and  the  Society  never  felt 
more  hopeful  in  regard  to  the  success  and  endur- 
ance of  any  of  its  candidates.  The  mystery  of  di- 
vine Providence  is  strikingly  manifest  in  the  events 
connected  with  her  missionary  career.  She  reached 
Kiukiang,    and    entered   joyfully   and   successfully 


190    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

upon  her  work.  The  following  year  she  was  seized 
with  fever,  which  so  reduced  her  strength  that  she 
never  rallied  completely,  but  after  battling  heroic- 
ally with  disease  and  pain,  determined,  if  possible,  to 
continue  in  the  missionary  field,  she  was  obliged  at 
last  to  submit  to  the  inevitable,  and  to  return  home 
to  save  her  life.  She  sailed  from  Japan,  June  25, 
and  reached  the  United  States  in  August,  1876. 

The  following  letter,  written  by  the  Correspond- 
ing Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch,  will  be  full 
of  interest  to  our  readers: 

RETURN  OF   DR.   LETITIA   MASON.* 

It  is  with  deep  sadness  that  we  announce  the 
entire  failure  of  Miss  Mason's  health,  and  her  sud- 
den return  to  her  home  at  Normal,  Illinois.  Letitia 
Mason,  M.D.,  sailed  from  New  York,  in  October, 
1874,  arriving  at  Kiukiang,  China,  the  following 
month.  In  July  of  the  next  year  she  was  seized 
with  a  fever  peculiar  to  that  climate,  and  was  very 
ill  for  eight  weeks.  Her  system  was  reduced  and 
vitality  so  impaired,  that,  although  we  had  hoped 
for  her  final  recovery,  it  has  been  evident  for  a  year 
past  that  she  was  declining.  Hopeful  and  diligent, 
she  labored  on  in  weakness  and  pain,  until  last 
spring. 

Under  date  of  May  6,  1876,  Miss  Hoag  wrote  to 
us,  as  follows :  "  I  am  sorry  to  write  to  you  of  the 
possible  return  of  Miss  Mason  to  America.  The 
winter  has  not  restored  her  health  and  strength,  as 
she  sanguinely  hoped,  nor  has  it  procured  freedom 
*  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend." 


Letitia  Mason,  M.D.  191 

from  almost  constant  suffering.  She  is  wonderfully 
enthusiastic  in  her  work,  and  the  idea  of  being 
obliged  to  leave,  especially  since  it  has  opened  so 
well  this  spring,  is  almost  heart-breaking.  We  all, 
now,  fear  that  she  will  never  be  well  in  China :  also, 
ttiat  any  treatment  in  this  climate  will  be  of  no  avail. 
We  cannot  endure  the  thought  of  losing  her." 

By  the  same  mail  Miss  Mason  writes:  "After  re- 
ceiving treatment  from  one  of  the  best  physicians 
in  Shanghai,  and  though  much  improved  during 
the  winter,  nothing  seems  permanent.  It  nearly 
breaks  my  heart  to  have  any  word  sent  to  America 
about  my  poor  health.  If  I  knew  that  possibly,  in 
a  few  days,  I  should  be  laid  within  the  little  walled 
inclosure  under  the  shade  of  yonder  old  vine-cov- 
ered pagoda,  I  could  not  feel  more  utterly  sad  than 
at  the  thought  of  leaving  work  here." 

Miss  Mason  grew  alarmingly  worse,  and  after 
urgent  requests  on  the  part  of  all  the  missionaries 
there,  she  set  out  from  the  home  of  her  adoption, 
expecting  to  go  to  Peking  to  consult  with  Miss 
L.  L.  Combs,  M.D. ;  but  on  arriving  in  Shanghai 
was  so  ill  that  her  own  physician  said  she  could  not 
live  to  take  the  trip  to  Peking,  but  that  she  must 
return  home.  She  sailed  from  Japan,  June  25,  and 
was  so  ill  then  that  her  life  was  almost  despaired  of 
by  two  physicians  who  were  called  in  consultation 
during  her  two-days'  stay  in  Yokohama.  They  were 
Drs.  Eldridge  and  Simmons,  and  gave  as  their  opin- 
ion that  she  could  not  live  a  month  longer  in  that 
climate,  and  that  with  a  return  to  America  at  once 
the  chances  of  life  and  death  were  about  even.    As 


192    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

soon  as  she  landed  in  San  Francisco  she  began  to  im- 
prove, and  can  now  walk  about  a  little  with  the  aid 
of  her  mother's  arm.  She  cannot  speak  or  write  of 
missionary  work  without  the  great  tears  gathering, 
and  her  return  home  is  as  bitter  a  disappointment  to 
her  as  it  can  be  to  our  Branch,  who  had  hoped  so 
much  from  our  medical  work  in  Kiukiang.  These  pio- 
neers in  this  department  in  Asia  seem  to  be  laying 
down  their  lives  for  its  sake.  How  often  it  is  that 
some  work  even  unto  death,  and  others  enter  into 
their  labors.  Who  will  take  up  the  great  work  laid 
down  so  sadly  by  our  beloved  Miss  Mason? 

One  of  the  missionaries  of  the  parent  Board 
writes  to  Mrs.  Ingham  : 

"  By  the  time  you  receive  this  you  will,  doubt- 
less, have  heard  of  the  utter  failure  of  dear  Miss 
Mason's  health.  She  wrote  me  from  Shanghai  such 
a  touching  letter  !  She  hoped  for  recovery  while 
all  around  despaired,  and  she  would  not  consent  to 
quit  the  field.  She  goes  with  a  heart  almost  break- 
ing. Her  failure  is  a  greater  trial  to  herself  than 
it  can  possibly  be  to  any  one  else.  She  loved  the 
work  dearly,  and  was  planning  for  a  great  future  ; 
but  a  mysterious  providence  takes  her  out  of  it." 

Under  these  circumstances  resignation  to  the  will 
of  God  becomes  the  imperative  duty  of  all  con- 
cerned. 


Susan  M.  Warner.  193 


SUSAN  M.  WARNER. 

SUSAN  M.  WARNER  went  to  Mexico  from 
New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  where  she  had  been 
engaged  in  teaching  school.  She  was  converted  in 
early  life,  and  evinced  an  unquenchable  desire  to 
be  useful.  She  was  self-sacrificing  to  an  unusual 
degree,  and  was  always  ready  to  relinquish  her  own 
ease  or  pleasure  in  order  to  prove  a  blessing  to  oth- 
ers. Few  ladies  possessed  naturally  a  more  keen, 
discriminating,  intelligent  mind.  And  these  natu- 
ral gifts  had  been  cultivated  to  a  high  degree,  until 
she  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  work  to  which  sh.e 
was  called. 

Of  herself  she  says,  with  characteristic  modesty  : 
"  There  can  be  little  of  interest  to  the  public  in  the 
details  of  the  life  of  one  who,  after  educating  her- 
self and  spending  several  years  in  providing  for  her 
mother,  was  at  last  able  to  realize  a  long-cherished 
plan  of  engaging  in  missionary  work."  Mrs.  Bishop 
Clark,  President  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch,  says : 
"  Miss  Warner  was  recommended  to  us  by  doctors 
of  divinity  and  others  who  knew  her  well,  as  ^ pure 
gold!^  Her  views,  both  of  teaching  and  govern- 
ment, as  evinced  by  her  well-written  letters,  were 
excellent." 

Among  the  traits  prominent  in  her  character  were 
courage  and  fidelity.     She  dared  to  be  right — dared 


194    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

to  he  true.  When  convinced  as  to  the  right  course 
to  pursue,  nothing  could  cause  her  to  swerve  in  any 
degree.  The  voice  of  duty  was  imperative,  and 
her  only  reply  to  those  who  questioned  was,  "  Why 
is  my  liberty  judged  of  another  man's  conscience  ?  " 
She  never  would  sacrifice  her  own  individuality, 
nor  consent  to  be  the  mere  echo  of  another.  For 
had  not  God  called  her,  and  given  her  a  work  to 
do  ?  Notwithstanding,  she  was  humble,  teachable, 
affectionate,  ever  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  oth-. 
ers,  and  carrying  out  the  spirit  of  the  injunction, 
"  In  honor  preferring  one  another." 

She  was  appointed  to  Pachuca,  Mexico,  in  1874. 
She  entered  into  her  work  heartily,  and  did  with 
her  might  what  her  hands  found  to  do,  until,  worn 
down  by  overwork,  she  was  prostrated  by  fever, 
and,  in  1877,  was  obHged  to  return  for  rest  and  re- 
cuperation. But  her  love  for  missionary  work  was 
not  diminished  by  the  fiery  trial  through  which  she 
passed  ;  and  as  soon  as  practicable  she  returned 
again  to  her  chosen  work.  Long  may  she  live,  to 
point  the  poor  benighted  and  oppressed  women  of 
Mexico  to  Jesus,  the  light  of  the  world  !  / 


Mary  Hastings.  195 


MARY  HASTINGS. 

PAUL,  the  first  Christian  who  ever  went  on  a 
missionary  tour,  said,  "  Neither  count  I  my 
life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my 
course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry,  which  I  have  re- 
ceived of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  gospel  of 
the  grace  of  God."  There  are  many  noble  souls 
who  emulate  his  spirit  ;  who  are  so  thoroughly  con- 
secrated to  God  and  duty  that  they  count  all  things 
but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus,  and  cheerfully  peril  health,  and  even 
life,  and  suffer  privation  and  severe  hardships,  for 
the  sake  of  ministering  to  the  suffering — of  bearing 
the  light  of  life  to  the  homes  of  darkness  and  op- 
pression. And  in  doing  this,  they  never  imagine 
for  a  moment  that  they  have  done  any  thing  worthy 
of  note,  or  that  their  lives  can  be  of  any  interest  to 
the  public. 

Of  this  class  Miss  Mary  Hastings  is  a  representa- 
tive woman.  Few  have  rendered  more  constant  and 
valuable  service  to  the  Church,  and  few  have  ever 
been  so  wholly  unconscious  of  merit.  Accounting 
herself,  with  Paul,  "  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints," 
she  regards  it  as  her  reasonable  service  to  continue 
in  her  life  of  toil  and  sacrifice. 

Miss  Hastings  was  born  in  Blandford,  Massachu- 
setts, June  5,  1833.     Her  father  was  an  earnest  lo- 


196     WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

cal  preacher,  powerful  in  prayer  and  exhortation. 
Her  mother  was  a  pious,  devout,  cultured  woman, 
a  sister  of  Miss  Maria  Hamilton,  who  was  precep- 
tress at  Cazenovia  Seminary  in  its  first  decade,  and 
who  was  afterward  the  wife  of  Professor  Johnson, 
of  Wesleyan  University,  Middletown,  Connecticut. 
Her  maternal  grandparents  were  members  of  the 
first  class  organized  in  Blandford  ;  so  that  from  her 
earliest  recollections  she  was  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  its  work. 

At  a  remarkably  early  age  Miss  Hastings  mani- 
fested great  love  for  books  and  study.  She  says  : 
"A  neighbor  told  me  that  at  four  years  of  age  I 
used  to  read  the  newspapers  to  him,  which,  I  sup- 
pose, was  my  first  missionary  work."  At  the  same 
time  her  brother  complained  that  she  did  not  recite 
her  geography  lessons,  but  read  them  over  the  tops 
of  the  books.  When  but  six  years  of  age  she  was 
made  the  subject  of  the  pardoning  grace  of  God, 
and  speaks  of  the  great  peace  she  received  through 
faith  in  Christ. 

"  After  this,"  she  says,  "  while  only  a  child,  I  list- 
ened to  a  sermon  on  holiness,  and  a  meeting  being 
appointed  for  those  who  desired  to  seek  it,  though 
the  night  was  dark  and  unpleasant,  I  went  all  alone 
and  consecrated  myself  to  God  the  best  I  knew 
how  ;  but  it  was  not  until  some  time  later  that  I 
was  able  to  say,  *  Lord,  I  am  thine,  entirely  thine.* 
The  desire  to  prepare  for  usefulness  became  very 
strong  as  years  passed  on,  and  the  conviction  of  my 
call  to  work  for  Jesus  deepened.  Standing  by  the 
bedside  of  my  dying  father,  I  heard  him  say,  '  He 


Mary  Hastings.  197 

will  never  leave  nor  forsake  you.'  Trusting  that 
faithful  word,  I  felt  that  I  must  take  up  the  work 
that  my  father  had  laid  down,  and  seek  to  win  souls 
for  Christ." 

After  the  death  of  her  father  she  entered  the 
Wesleyan  Academy,  at  Wilbraham,  Massachusetts, 
and  in  1858  graduated  with  high  honors,  being  the 
valedictorian  of  her  class,  and  most  highly  esteemed 
by  teachers  and  students.  She  had  an  innate  love 
for  the  beautiful,  and  for  communion  with  nature, 
and  was  proficient  in  drawing  and  oil  painting. 
After  leaving  Wilbraham,  she  accepted  a  call  to 
Lawrence  University,  Appleton,  Wisconsin,  as  pre- 
ceptress, and  teacher  of  the  Art  Department.  Here 
she  remained  two  years,  during  which  time,  she  says, 
"There  was  some  missionary  work  to  be  done,  as 
among  the  interesting  young  people  gathered  in  the 
University  and  its  preparatory  school  there  entered, 
from  time  to  time,  Indian  youths  of  both  sexes, 
mostly  of  the  Oneida  and  Brotherton  tribes." 

Desiring  to  continue  the  study  of  art,  and  also  of 
languages,  she  returned  again  to  the  East  for  that 
purpose.  After  some  time  spent  in  study,  a  call 
came  for  her  to  go  as  preceptress  to  a  school  in 
Canning,  Cornwallis,  Nova  Scotia.  She  went,  and 
while  there  a  gracious  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
came  upon  the  people.  "  The  school,"  she  writes, 
**  was  visited  from  on  high  in  wonderful  power." 

As  characteristic  of  her  love  of  nature,  we  give 
the  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  from  this 
place  to  a  former  classmate  : 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  a  ramble  on  the  beach. 


198     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

The  tide  being  out,  I  went  down  a  distance  into  the 
ocean-bed,  and  sat  on  a  rock  over  which  the  wild 
waves  dashed  last  night,  and  where  they  will  soon 
be  rolling  again.  It  is  delightful  to  sit  thus  on  a 
rock  of  the  sea  and  muse,  while  all  around  the  wa- 
ters foam  and  toss  their  spray,  and  rage  in  their 
rocky  bed.  Beyond  the  angry  beating  of  the  surf 
the  waters  lie  calm  and  still  beneath  the  summer 
sky,  and  thought  glides  swiftly  across  the  bosom  of 
the  sea  to  my  native  land,  and  the  friends  who  lin- 
ger there.  Involuntarily  I  pause  and  listen,  half- 
expecting  to  hear  familiar  voices  borne  on  the  moan- 
ing breeze,  and  often  my  longing  eyes  seek  the  dis- 
tant horizon,  where  sky  and  ocean  meet,  looking  in 
vain  for  the  green  hills  of  dear  New  England." 

After  returning  to  her  home  a  call  came  for  mis- 
sionary work  among  the  freedmen.  The  field  was 
Memphis.  Miss  Hastings  accepted  the  call.  Writ- 
ing to  a  friend,  she  says:  "  I  feel  such  a  sweet  sense 
of  the  divine  protection,  that  could  my  eyes  see  the 
angels  of  the  Lord  encamping  round  me,  I  could 
feel  no  more  certain  than  I  now  do  that  I  am  safe 
in  His  keeping.  I  am  on  the  way  to  Memphis  to 
do  for  Christ,  in  the  person  of  his  degraded  and 
despised  ones,  whatever  my  hand  finds  to  do." 

After  becoming  somewhat  established  in  her  new 
field  of  labor,  she  writes  again  to  the  same  friend: 
"  Your  kind  letter  was  full  of  comfort  to  my  weary, 
sorrowful  heart.  Only  a  day  or  two  previous,  news 
of  my  mother's  death  had  come  from  my  loved 
home  ;  and  here,  among  strangers,  I  bear  this  great 
sorrow ;  not,  it  is  true,  without  sympathy,  for  I  am 


Mary  Hastings.  199 

surrounded  with  friends,  Christian  co-laborers.  I 
feel,  too,  that  for  my  dear  mother  I  have  no  cause 
to  mourn,  for  to  her,  as  to  the  apostle,  '  to  die  is 
gain.'  She  sweetly  rests  from  all  her  toils  and  suf- 
ferings with  all  the  blessed  dead.  I  know  that  al- 
though I,  her  only  daughter,  was  far  away,  loving 
hands  ministered  to  every  want,  and  gratified  every 
wish  ;  but  it  is  sad  to  feel  that  no  mother  prays  for 
the  absent  one,  or  looks  for  tidings  from  her  wan- 
derer. Still,  the  Saviour's  precious  promise  —  the 
last  loving  message  from  my  dying  father's  lips — • 
*  1  will  never  leave  nor  forsake  you,'  sustains  my 
burdened  spirit. 

"  A  little  while !  O,  glorious  word ! 

Sweet  solace  of  our  sorrow  ; 
And  then,  forever  with  the  Lord — 

The  everlasting  morrow." 

Returning  North,  she  was  soon  after  appointed 
missionary  to  Mexico.  She  sailed  from  New  York 
on  the  Cleopatra,  Saturday,  January  10,  1874.  She 
went  out  under  the  auspices  of  the  New  York 
Branch,  and  was  their  first  representative  to  Mexico. 
She  was  first  stationed  at  Mexico  City.  We  cannot 
give  our  readers  a  better  glimpse  into  her  character 
or  her  work  than  by  giving  her  own  words,  written 
October,  1874,  to  Mrs.  Nickerson,  of  Provincetown, 
Massachusetts : 

"  Our  school  increases ;   we  number  more  than 

thirty  now,  and  hope  soon  to  have  sixty  girls.    That 

will  be  a  good  family  to  feed,  clothe,  govern,  and 

educate,  wont  it?     Another  little  girl,   Rafaelita, 

has  just  come;  and  as  in  my  heart  I  said,  'Lord, 
13 


200    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

may  she  be  thine ! '  very  sweetly  came  the  promise, 

*  All  thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord.'  We 
will  sow  the  seed  as  he  gives  opportunity,  and  'tis 
his  to  make  it  fruitful.  My  life  here  is  very  unlike 
my  notions  of  mission  life ;  but  if  the  Father's  will 
is  done,  I  am  satisfied;  and,  as  far  as  I  am  con- 
scious, I  am  doing  that,  and  that  alone,  and  so, 
though  often  sorrowful,  I  am  always  rejoicing.  O 
Beccie,  darling,  how  I  would  like  to  see  you,  and 
fold  you  in  my  arms  to-night !  How  I  would  love 
to  have  you  here  to  help  me  tell  the  story  of  re- 
demption, and  help  me  sing  for  Jesus  !  Pray  for  us, 
that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course, 
run,  and  be  glorified.  O  the  idols  must  fall  in  this 
land !  *  Let  thy  kingdom  come,  and  thy  will  be 
done,'  is  the  cry  of  my  heart  day  and  night,  and  the 
dear  Lord  hears. 

"A  few  days  since  an  old  man  heard  one  of  our 
Bible  readers  reading  the  commandments.  As  he 
listened  and  comprehended  their  meaning,  he  cried 
out  in  agony,  *  They  have  left  me  to  break  God's 
commands!     O  what  shall  I  do,  what  shall  I  do?' 

*  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt 
be  saved,'  was  the  reply.  He  stepped  outside  of  the 
door,  and  in  a  few  moments  was  dead !  His  grief 
and  fear  had  been  too  much  for  him  to  bear,  and 
his  poor  troubled  heart  was  still. 

"  We  often  feel  that  we  would  like  to  do  the 
work  up  in  a  hurry,  and  be  able  to  tell  you  at  once 
that  all  Mexico  had  turned  from  the  Virgin  of 
Guadaloupe  and  Remedios  to  Him  who  is  the  way, 
the  truth,  and  the  life ;  and  that  the  thousands  and 


Mary  Hastings.  20 1 

tens  of  thousands  who  throng  the  Cathedral,  the 
Profesa,  and  all  the  costly  idol  temples,  are  coming, 
through  simple  faith,  to  Christ.  Well,  it  is  almost 
two  thousand  years  since  the  Gospel  of  salvation 
started  on  its  errand,  and  notwithstanding  the  world 
has  been  so  slow  of  heart  to  receive  it,  we  must  re- 
joice in  the  thousands  on  thousands  who,  through 
all  these  rolling  years,  have  come,  and  still  are  com- 
ing, to  find  eternal  life.  And  we  will  work  on  in 
faith,  and  hope,  and  love ;  sure  that,  in  the  multi- 
tudes gathered  out  of  every  nation  and  kindred  and 
tongue,  some  shall  come  from  Mexico  to  join  the 
glad  chorus,  '  To  Him  who  hath  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  in  his  own  blood.'  " 

In  1875  she  removed  from  Mexico  City  to  Pa- 
chuca,  where  she  has  since  remained,  laboring  un- 
ceasingly for  the  evangelization  of  the  poor,  benight- 
ed, and  much-neglected,  women  of  that  dark  land. 

We  will  let  Miss  Hastings  close  the  sketch  in  her 
own  words:  "  To-day  (January  10,  1878)  completes 
the  period  of  five  years  since  I  sailed  from  New 
York.  The  Lord  knows  I  have  sown  his  truth  with 
many  tears ;  but  when  I  hear  my  precious  pupils 
confessing  Jesus,  giving  thanks  for  the  blessings 
that  have  come  to  them  through  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  praying  for  the  salvation  of  their  people,  and 
asking  that  strength  may  still  be  given  me  to  lead 
them  heavenward,  I  know  that  our  labor  in  the 
Lord  has  not  been  in  vain.  Some  of  the  seed  may 
perish  by  the  wayside,  but  some  shall  bring  forth 
fruit  a  hundredfold,  unto  eternal  life." 


202     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


JENNIE  M.  CHAPIN  AND  LOU  B.  DENNING. 

'"T^HESE  ladies  are  our  first  representatives  in 
-1-  the  South  American  work.  Miss  Jennie  M. 
Chapin  is  a  native  of  Chicopee,  Hampden  County, 
Massachusetts,  and  was  born  June  20,  1842.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer,  and  her  childhood  and  early 
youth  were  spent  amid  the  purest  influences,  in 
communion  with  nature,  and  in  looking  from  nature 
up  to  nature's  God.  At  fourteen  years  of  age  she 
was  converted  to  Christ,  and  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Miss  Chapin  early  evinced 
a  great  love  for  study,  and,  having  availed  herself 
of  all  the  education  the  common  schools  afforded, 
she  entered  the  Wilbraham  Academy,  where,  after 
spending  two  years  studying  hard  and  doing  extra 
work  to  pay  expenses,  she  was  prostrated,  worn 
down,  and  obliged  for  two  years  to  relinquish  both 
study  and  teaching.  As  soon  as  health  and  strength 
would  permit,  she  again  entered  the  academy,  after 
which  she  resumed  her  teaching.  She  also  taught 
in  a  night-school  in  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  boarding 
in  the  family  of  Rev.  E.  A.  Manning.  She  says  : 
**  I  enjoyed  this  work  very  much,  and  look  back  to 
those  as  some  of  the  happiest  days  in  my  life." 
Then  affliction  came.  Her  father  died  ;  her  mother 
was  prostrated  by  disease,  but  as 

"  The  sweetest  scented  plants  that  grow, 
When  bruised  their  fragrance  best  bestow," 


Jennie  M.  CJiapin  and  Lou  B.  Denning.      203 

so  this  young  life  began  in  a  more  marked  manner 
to  exhale  its  fragrance,  and  to  devote  its  energies 
to  the  work  of  blessing  others.  Referring  to  her 
experience  at  this  time,  she  writes  :  "  The  world 
lost  all  value.  Heaven  and  Christ  were  more  pre- 
cious and  near.  I  found  the  greatest  pleasure  in 
Christian  society,  and  was  in  constant  attendance 
at  the  missionary  meetings  held  by  our  auxiliary  of 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  I  was 
deeply  interested  in  letters  from  South  America 
asking  that  lady  teachers  should  be  sent  there. 
Friends,  thinking  I  had  some  of  the  characteristics 
that  would  fit  me  for  the  work,  asked  me  if  I  would 
be  willing  to  go.  It  seemed  a  call  from  God,  and  I 
permitted  my  name  to  be  placed  as  a  candidate,  and 
was  appointed  to  go  to  Rosario  de  Santa  Fe,  Ar- 
gentine Republic,  South  America,  in  company  with 
Miss  Lou  B.  Denning,  of  Normal,  Illinois." 

January  20,  1874,  a  farewell  meeting  was  held  in 
Trinity  Church,  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  and 
January  23  Miss  Chapin  sailed  from  New  York  on 
the  steamer  Merrimac,  reaching  Rosario  March  20, 
1874.  She  has  proved  herself  to  be  one  of  our 
most  efficient  and  successful  missionaries,  and  by 
her  unselfish  devotion  to  the  interests  of  the  Soci- 
ety has  already  won  for  herself  many  laurels.  In  a 
private  letter  she  says  :  "  My  life,  since  coming 
here,  is  so  intimately  connected  with  that  of  Miss 
L.  B.  Denning,  that  the  work  of  one  has  been  that 
of  the  other.  We  have  roomed  together  and  been 
together  in  all  our  interests,  and  are  like  very  dear 
sisters  to  each  other." 


204    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

LOU   B.   DENNING. 

Miss  Denning  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
December  i8,  1840.  Her  parents  were  rich  in 
faith  and  heirs  of  the  kingdom,  and  early  inculcated 
in  the  minds  of  their  children  that  which  is  of  far 
greater  value  than  a  desire  for  earthly  treasure. 
Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  two  of 
whom  are  traveling  preachers. 

When  she  was  about  twelve  years  of  age  her  fa- 
ther removed  with  his  family  to  Minnesota,  where 
they  spent  four  years  during  its  early  settlement, 
experiencing  all  the  privations  as  well  as  enjoy- 
ments of  a  pioneer  life.  Miss  Denning  says  :  "  I 
have  often  thought  the  time  spent  there  qualified 
me  to  better  endure  the  privations  of  a  missionary's 
life  in  South  America."  After  this  they  removed 
to  M'Lean  County,  Illinois,  where  her  parents  still 
reside.  Among  her  earliest  recollections  is,  that  of 
her  father's  house  being  the  home  of  the  itinerant, 
and  the  pleasure  her  mother  always  took  in  pro- 
viding and  caring  for  his  temporal  wants.  Brought 
up  on  a  farm,  her  life  was  a  retired  one,  yet  full  of 
happiness.  In  1870  Miss  Denning  graduated  from 
the  '  State  Normal  School,'  Normal,  Illinois,  after 
which  she  taught  school  until  her  appointment  to 
South  America.    . 

With  regard  to  her  conversion  and  call  to  mis- 
sionary work  she  says  :  "  I  was  taught  to  love  and 
attend,  from  infancy,  all  the  means  of  grace  con- 
nected with  our  Church.  At  the  age  of  fourteen, 
during  a  protracted  meeting  held  in  Concord,  Illi- 


Jennie  M.  Chapin  and  Lou  B.  Denning.      205 

nois,  1  listened  to  the  entreaties  of  my  mother  and 
the  wooings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  presented  my- 
self as  a  seeker  of  religion.  After  several  days  of 
darkness,  light  broke  into  my  soul  full  of  resplen- 
dent beauty.  Satan  has  thrust  sore  at  me  in  many 
other  points,  but  he  never  has  made  me  doubt  my 
conversion.  In  May,  1869,  while  attending  school 
at  Normal,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  held  a  series  of 
meetings  in  Bloomington,  two  miles  distant.  Their 
special  theme  was  "  Holiness — Entire  Consecration 
to  God."  I  attended  as  much  of  the  time  as  possi- 
ble, having  a  great  desire  to  enjoy  this  perfect  sal- 
vation. On  the  23d  of  the  month,  at  six  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  after  a  severe  conflict  with  the  enemy, 
who  seemed  to  use  all  his  weapons  against  my  be- 
lieving that  the  blessing  was  for  me,  I  was  enabled 
to  consecrate  myself  entirely  to  the  Lord.  The 
joy  and  peace  that  followed  are  beyond  description 
— must  be  felt  to  be  known.  I  then  promised  to 
do  whatever  the  Lord  might  require  of  me,  little 
thinking  I  should  be  called  to  go  to  a  foreign  field 
of  labor.  But  when  asked,  by  those  interested  in 
the  cause,  if  I  would  be  willing  to  be  employed  by 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  though 
feeling  my  unworthiness  and  insufficiency,  I  could 
but  reply, '  If  the  Lord  wants  me  there,  and  the  So- 
ciety will  accept  me,  I  will  go.' 

"  The  announcement  of  the  case  to  my  parents 
and  sister  was  a  severe  trial  for  me,  and  came  with 
almost  crushing  weight  to  them.  At  first  they  felt 
it  could  not  be  ;  the  thought  of  separation  for  five 
years  seemed  more  than  they  could  endure.     But 


206    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

the  love  of  God  finally  triumphed,  and  they  said  if 
I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  go  they  would  not  dis- 
suade me  from  it.  My  mother- said  ;  'I  gave  my 
children  all  to  the  Lord  in  their  infancy,  and  if  he 
calls  my  daughter  to  a  foreign  land  I  will  not  oppose 
her  going.'  It  was  really  harder  for  my  dear  sister, 
who  still  remained  at  home,  to  give  her  consent, 
having  a  very  strong  attachment  for  her  friends. 
The  fact  that  time  and  distance  would  so  separate 
us  seemed  to  tear  her  very  heart-strings.  One  day, 
when  talking  with  her  about  going,  she  wept  as 
though  she  had  already  been  to  my  burial.  I,  nat- 
urally enough,  sympathized  with  her  feelings.  I 
left  her,  and,  as  I  crossed  the  room,  picked  up  a 
small  piece  of  paper  that  lay  on  the  floor.  It  was 
folded  up  so  there  seemed  to  be  but  little  of  it.  I 
opened  it  and  read,  *  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all 
thine  heart ;  and  lean  not  unto  thine  own  under- 
standing. In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  him,  and 
he  shall  direct  thy  paths.*  If  the  Lord  himself  had 
spoken  to  me,  the  words  could  not  have  been  more 
forcible.  I  felt  they  were  just  what  I  needed  at 
that  moment.  After  receiving  my  appointment  to 
South  America  I  began  preparations,  not  knowing 
who  my  companion  would  be.  But  the  Lord  took 
care  of  that,  and  gave  me  one  who,  in  health  and 
sickness,  has  filled  the  place  of  a  sister.  I  refer  to 
Miss  Jennie  M.  Chapin." 

On  Jan.  i8,  1874,  a  "  farewell"  meeting  was  held  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Normal,  Illinois. 
The  large  audience  listened  to  an  eloquent  address 
by  Mrs.  Jennie  F.  Willing,  an  essay  prepared  by  Dr. 


Jennie  M.  Cliapin  and  Lou  B.  Defining.      207 

Richard  Edwards,  President  of  the  Normal  School, 
and  remarks  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Millsap.  The 
following  day  she  bade  farewell  to  home  and  loved 
ones,  and  was  on  her  way  to  New  York,  where  she 
was  to  meet  Miss  Chapin,  and  with  whom,  on  the 
following  Friday,  she  was  to  sail  for  South  America. 

These  young  ladies  commenced  work  at  once  on 
board  the  steamer,  and  employed  a  part  of  each 
day  (Sundays  excepted)  in  studying  and  writing  out 
Spanish  lessons,  reciting  to  a  native  Cuban,  who 
offered  to  give  them  any  assistance  needed.  Arriv- 
ing at  Rosario,  their  destination,  they  were  warmly 
welcomed  by  Rev.  T.  B.  Wood  and  wife,  then  sta- 
tioned there.  They  have  labored  untiringly  for  the 
advancement  of  the  cause  in  South  America.  Ever 
happy  and  successful  in  their  work,  the  Society  feels 
much  satisfaction  in  having  such  worthy  representa- 
tives in  the  field. 

Of  their  work  there  Miss  Denning  says :  "  One 
month  after  our  arrival  we  began  teaching  a  few 
pupils  in  reading,  arithmetic,  and  geography,  we 
having  to  study  quite  as  hard  as  the  pupils  in  order 
to  understand  the  lessons.  We  did  not  open  our 
school  to  the  public  until  the  second  year,  devoting 
our  time  to  study  and  such  other  work  as  fell  into 
our  hands.  In  September  of  1875  we  began  a 
school  with  eight  or  ten  pupils.  As  pioneers  on  the 
field  we  had  to  contend  with  all  the  prejudice  of  the 
people  toward  Protestants.  We  spent  a  part  of  the 
time  in  visiting  the  women  in  their  homes,  reading, 
singing,  and  talking  with  them  as  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself. 


208     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"Our  school  gradually  increased,  till  it  occupied 
all  our  time.  We  closed  the  school  year  with  eighty 
pupils  in  November  last.  The  priests  have  worked 
against  us,  both  privately  and  publicly,  but  there  is 
too  strong  a  liberal  element  here  for  them  to  mani- 
fest any  open  persecution.  We  have  some  orphans 
from  whom  we  hope  much  in  the  future.  Many 
times  our  labors  have  been  exceedingly  fatiguing, 
yet  we  have  been  sustained  through  them  all.  God 
has  been  with  us,  shielding,  protecting,  and  guiding 
us.  Whatever  of  good  has  been  accomplished  is  all 
of  the  Lord ;  to  him  be  all  the  glory." 


Dora  Schoonmaker.  209 


DORA   SCHOONMAKER. 

DORA  SCHOONMAKER  was  born,  in  Ulster 
County,  New  York,  in  the  year  185 1.  When 
five  years  of  age  her  parents  removed  to  Illinois, 
and  made  their  home  on  the  Kankakee  River,  near 
Wilmington.  Dora  possessed  naturally  a  vigorous 
and  inquiring  mind,  and  developed  at  a  very  early 
age  the  great  love  for  reading  which  has  followed 
her  through  life.  At  eight  years  of  age  she  first 
read  the  "  Life  of  Harriet  Newell,"  This  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  her  mind,  and  she  said  one  day 
to  her  mother,  "  Mamma,  when  I  grow  up  big  I  am 
going  to  be  a  missionary."  But  the  thought  which 
at  first  elated  her  childish  heart  began,  with  its  de- 
velopment, to  disclose  more  of  the  dark  side  of  the 
missionary's  life.  She  had  naturally  a  very  affec- 
tionate disposition,  and  was  fondly  attached  to  her 
friends.  The  thought  of  a  separation  which  might 
be  final,  to  her  was  appalling.  She  read  the  book 
over  and  over  again ;  and  as  she  grew  older  and 
looked  more  deeply  into  the  matter,  the  thought 
that  she  must  be  a  missionary  deepened  into  a  con- 
viction, and  she  could  not  cast  it  off.  With  her 
keen  intellect,  she  had  the  usual  accompaniment — 
a  strong  will.  The  idea  of  being  forced  into  any 
thing  roused  all  her  innate  resolution,  and  she  threw 
the  "  Life  of  Harriet  Newell "  into  the  river.     But 


210    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

though  the  book  was  destroyed,  she  could  not 
drown  the  impressions  it  had  made.  It  had  surely 
done  its  work  in  one  heart,  for  Dora  never  lost  the 
conviction  that  she  must  be  a  missionary. 

At  eleven  years  of  age  she  was  converted  to  God, 
and  made  a  partaker  of  his  saving  grace.  "  But," 
she  says,  "  this  joyful  experience  was  afterward  lost, 
and  was  succeeded  by  several  years  of  doubt  and 
half  skepticism."  Again,  at  eighteen  years  of  age, 
she  consecrated  her  heart  anew  to  God  and  his 
service. 

She  was  uniformly  a  close  student,  and  when 
eighteen  years  of  age  graduated  with  the  highest 
honors  from  the  high  school  of  her  town,  being  vale- 
dictorian of  her  class.  After  finishing  her  course  of 
study,  she  accepted  a  situation  in  the  public  schools 
of  Morris,  Illinois.  One  year  later  she  was  appoint- 
ed Principal  of  the  High  School,  which  position  she 
held  for  three  years,  when  she  resigned  this  for 
work  in  Japan. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  C.  Miller,  of  Evanston,  Illinois,  says : 
".Here  she  displayed,  more  than  ever  before,  her 
wonderful  tact  and  ability  as  a  teacher.  She  ex- 
celled in  belles-lettres,  as  well  as  in  mathematics,  and 
in  giving  up  her  teaching  she  sacrificed  not  alone 
this  position,  but  others,  far  more  remunerative, 
which  were  open  to  her.  Her  ability  as  a  writer, 
too,  is  rare  indeed.  Her  letters,  dashed  off  in  a  few 
moments  of  time  to  her  intimate  friends,  are  often 
models  of  composition  and  rhetoric." 

Dora  was  always  a  hard  worker.  In  connection 
with  her  teaching  she  kept  up  the  studies  of  German 


Dora  Schoonmaker.  21 1 

and  French,  and  translated  several  volumes  in  each 
of  these  languages,  besides  following  all  the  time  a 
good  course  of  reading.  During  her  last  year  as  a 
teacher  she  conducted  a  large  class  in  German,  aside 
from  her  school  duties.  About  a  year  before  leav- 
ing for  Japan,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Willing  suggested  to  her 
that  a  knowledge  of  music  was  quite  essential  to  her 
success  as  a  missionary.  She  had  never  given  any 
attention  to  music ;  but  she  saw  that  the  sugges- 
tion was  a  good  one ;  music  was  necessary,  and  with 
characteristic  promptness  and  indefatigable  energy 
she  began  the  arduous  task.  Nor  did  she  relinquish 
her  efforts  until  she  had  acquired  sufficient  knowl- 
edge in  the  science  to  enable  her  readily  to  sing  and 
play  the  songs  that  were  necessary  to  her  work. 
Soon  after  she  began  teaching  her  girls  in  Japan, 
one  of  the  Tokio  missionaries  said  to  her,  "  I  never 
heard  Japanese  children  sing  in  better  time  and 
tune." 

A  meeting  of  great  interest  was  held  in  Evanston, 
Illinois,  at  the  departure  of  Miss  Schoonmaker. 
She  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  Octobers,  1874,  and 
was  our  first  representative  to  Tokio,  Japan.  She 
has  been  eminently  successful  in  her  missionary 
work.  Miss  T.  A.  Spencer,  one  of  our  missionaries 
in  Japan,  writes  :  "  Your  mental  eyes  have  followed 
Miss  Dora  Schoonmaker,  our  brave  pioneer  in  the 
field,  for  nearly  five  years,  as  she  labored  and  toiled, 
often  beyond  her  strength,  to  acquire  the  language 
and  establish  a  school.  She  is  a  brunette,  with  fine, 
large,  brown  eyes,  through  which  you  can  read  the 
depths  of  the  great  soul  beneath  this  slight  exte- 


212     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

rior.  She  walks  with  a  firm,  quick  tread,  and  has 
energy  and  ambition  enough  for  two  people.  She 
is  very  fluent  in  speaking  both  English  and  Japa- 
nese, and  wields  a  powerful  pen.  I  love  her  dearly, 
and  rejoice  that  her  undaunted  zeal  and  untiring 
labor  have  been  so  abundantly  rewarded  by  Him 
whom  she  delights  to  honor." 

March,  1878,  she  writes:  "O  you  do  not  know 
what  an  amount  of  work  there  is  to  be  done  here ! 
Tell  the  ladies  that  Tokio  must  have  two  more  mis- 
sionaries this  year.  With  that  addition  to  our 
working  force,  and  with  our  new  building,  we  shall, 
by  God's  blessing  on  our  labors,  be  able  to  push 
forward  the  Lord's  work  here  to  a  position  of  wide 
and  powerful  influence.  Tell  the  people  at  home 
how  it  is — tell  them  the  positive  need  ;  bid  them 
remember  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  estab- 
lished here,  spreading  its  manifold  errors  among 
the  people ;  and,  because  of  its  large  force  and  un- 
sparing use  of  funds,  is  said  to  have  gathered  into 
its  fold  no  less  than  three  hundred  children  in  this 
one  city  of  Tokio.  Shall  we,  who  profess  to  hold 
the  truth  in  its  purity,  be  less  zealous  than  they  ? 
God  forbid ! " 


Sixth  Annual  Meeting.  213 


SIXTH  ANNUAL  MEETING. 

THE  General  Executive  Committee  held  its 
sixth  annual  session  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
in  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  May  5, 
1875.  One  change  during  the  year  had  been  made 
in  its  secretaries.  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  E.  Lattimer,  the 
accomplished  and  gifted  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  New  England  Branch,  having  resigned,  Mrs. 
C.  P.  Taplin,  another  of  New  England's  elect  la- 
dies, was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

After  the  delegates  had  responded  to  the  calling 
of  the  roll,  Bishop  Ames  was  introduced  and  ad- 
dressed the  meeting.  He  spoke  of  the  gratification 
he  felt  in  welcoming  the  ladies  to  Baltimore,  and 
said  the  Missionary  Society  greatly  needed  just  such 
workers  as  the  women  send  into  the  foreign  field, 
and  referred  to  the  obstruction  Catholicism  offers  to 
evangelical  Christianity.  From  all  he  had  learned 
of  this  Society  he  was  prepared  to  encourage  and 
indorse  it  fully. 

A  committee  of  clergymen  from  the  Baltimore 
Preachers'  Association  were  introduced,  and  in  fit- 
ting words  tendered  fraternal  greetings  and  good 
wishes  for  the  success  of  missions  as  conducted  by 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  Mrs. 
Willing  responded  in  a  graceful  address,  saying : 
"  We  cannot  be  very  formal  in  replying  to  the  kind 


214     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

words  of  Methodist  ministers.  These  words  of  en- 
couragement are  especially  grateful  at  this  time,  as 
they  are  needed.  Never  has  the  Committee  ccme 
together  with  more  firm  reliance  on  God  and  a 
deeper  sense  of  the  need  of  his  presence  and  help." 

Business  was  resumed.  The  Annual  Reports  of 
the  various  Branches  were  presented  and  read  by 
their  respective  Corresponding  Secretaries.  "  Un- 
abated interest,  untiring  zeal,  and  fervent  love,  up- 
held by  faith  in  the  God  of  all  nations,  characterized 
the  reports  given."  The  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  Cincinnati  Branch,  detained  at  home  by  ill- 
ness, was  represented  by  Mrs.  Davis,  whose  touch- 
ing allusion  to  her  friend,  followed  by  tender  mes- 
sages conveyed  by  Mrs.  Bishop  Clark,  awakened  a 
profound  sense  of  sorrow  at  the  cause  of  her  ab- 
sence. On  motion,  a  suspension  of  business  was 
ordered,  and  a  committee  appointed  to  express  the 
sentiments  of  the  meeting  toward  their  sister,  Mrs. 
G.  E.  Doughty. 

The  following  paper  was  adopted,  and  a  copy  or- 
dered to  be  transmitted  to  Mrs.  Doughty : 

"  The  General  Executive  Committee  hear  with 
deep  sorrow  of  the  cause  which  detains  at  home 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati 
Branch.  We  remember  her  thrilling  words  for 
Christ  and  his  work  at  our  last  executive  meeting 
— how  they  helped  us  to  a  deeper  consecration  of 
our  own  lives,  and  impressed  us  as  coming  from  one 
who  had  been  with  Jesus  ;  therefore 

"  Resolved,  That  we  express  to  her  our  sympathy 


Sixth  A  nnual  Meeting.  2 1 5 

and  love,  and  that  we  bear  her  in  our  prayers,  that, 
if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  her  life  may  be  long  spared 
to  carry  on  his  work  on  earth  ;  that  we  ask  of  our 
heavenly  Father  for  her  the  constant  consciousness 
of  the  love  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  great 
Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  and  that  she  be  preserved 
blameless  until  his  coming  with  all  his  saints  to  re- 
ceive his  own  into  his  inheritance. 

"  Mrs.  S.  L.  Keen,  Chairman, 
"  Mrs.  H.  Skidmore, 
"  Mrs.  J.  F.  Willing." 

The  paper  was  scarcely  read  before  the  following 
was  received  from  Mrs.  Bishop- Clark,  of  Cincinnati : 

"  Our  dear  Mrs.  Doughty  has  gone  to  her  home 
in  heaven.  ...  A  little  while  before  she  died  her 
pastor  asked  if,  in  the  near  approach  of  death,  her 
faith  faltered.  She  answered,  '  No  ;  I  don't  know 
any  thing  about  2i  faltering  faith.'  After  long-con- 
tinued coughing,  she  said,  *  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come 
quickly.  I  am  weary.*  Soon  after  she  became  un- 
conscious, and  died  at  6  :  30  A.  M.,  19th  instant.  .  .  . 
I  feel  to-day  that  I  am  personally  bereaved.  Dear 
Mrs.  Doughty,  may  my  life's  record  be  like  yours, 
and  my  last  hours  sustained  by  the  same  unfaltering 
faith !  How  much  has  our  Society,  our  Church, 
and  the  world  lost  by  her  death  ! " 

"  The  anniversary  was  held  in  the  First  Method- 
ist Church.  Bishop  Ames  presided  with  his  usual 
ability  and  dignity,  adding  much  to  the  interest  of 
the  occasion.  Mrs.  Willing  and  Mrs.  Taplin  ad- 
dressed the  large  and  attentive  audience." 
14 


2l6     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

One  missionary,  Miss  L.  A.  Campbell,  was  ap- 
pointed to  China.  After  the  business  was  com- 
pleted the  President,  Mrs.  Francis  A.  Crook,  spoke 
a  few  earnest  and  well-directed  words  of  congratula- 
tion upon  the  spirit  of  love  to  God  and  each  other 
which  pervaded  the  entire  session,  and  invoked 
upon  the  whole  executive  board  the  blessing  of  the 
Most  High,  after  which  "  The  whole  wide  world  for 
Jesus  "  was  sung,  and  the  meeting  adjourned. 


Letitia  A.  CantpbelL  217 


LETITIA  A.  CAMPBELL. 

"  O  safe  at  home,  'mid  brightness  all  eternal, 

When  shall  I  breathe  with  thee  the  purer  air^ 
Air  of  a  land  whose  clime  is  ever  vernal, 

A  land  without  a  serpent  or  a  snare  ? 
Gone  to  begin  a  new  and  happier  story, 

Thy  bitterer  tale  of  earth  now  told  and  done  ; 
Tliese  outer  shadows  for  that  inner  glory 

Exchanged  forever — O  thrice  blessed  one  !  " 

THUS  the  soul  triumphantly  sings  as  it  looks 
upward  and  catches  a  glimpse  of  the  ascending 
chariots  of  our  translated  victors.  But  coming  down 
from  "  the  verge  of  heaven  " — the  mount  of  trans- 
figuration and  glory — and  seeing  only  the  earth-view, 
the  newly-made  grave,  the  yearning,  desolate  hearts, 
the  brimming  eyes,  the  blasted  hopes,  and  broken 
plans,  the  soul  cries  out,  "  O  cruel  Death,  what  hast 
thou  done  !  Surely  thou  hast  not  made  a  fit  selec- 
tion for  thy  conquests  here  !  " 

"Youth  and  the  opening  rose 
May  look  like  things  too  glorious  for  decay, 

And  smile  at  thee  ;  but  thou  art  not  of  those 
That  wait  the  ripened  bloom  to  seize  their  prey." 

Letitia  A.  Campbell  was  born  in  Liverpool,  En- 
gland, and  died  in  Peking,  China,  May  18,  1878. 
In  her  childhood  she  emigrated  with  her  parents 
to  America,  and  settled  in  Cambridge,  Massachu- 
setts. At  an  early  age  she  gave  her  heart  to  Christ 
and  her  hand  to  the  Church,  and  was  ever  after  one 


2l8    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

of  its  most  zealous,  active,  and  efficient  members. 
Her  parents  were  intelligent,  devout,  conscientious 
Christians.  Her  father,  being  an  earnest  worker  in 
the  mission  field,  impressed  on  her  young  heart, 
both  by  precept  and  example,  the  needs  and  impor- 
tance of  so  great  a  cause.  Consequently,  as  she 
grew  in  years  she  became  more  and  more  impressed 
that,  should  her  life  be  spared,  God  would  eventu- 
ally call  her  to  labor  for  him  in  foreign  fields. 

Her  early  education  was  received  in  Cambridge, 
but,  desirous  to  prepare  herself  to  perform  success- 
fully all  the  duties  of  a  missionary,  and  to  care  for 
all  the  interests  that  should  ever  be  committed  to 
her  charge,  she  graduated  from  one  of  the  leading 
commercial  colleges  in  the  city  of  Boston.  One 
who  was  intimately  acquainted  with  her,  says : 
*'  With  each  year  her  determination  to  be  a  mission- 
ary strengthened,  and  she  resolved  to  leave  nothing 
undone  in  the  way  of  preparation  which  would  in 
any  measure  aid  her  in  being  a  successful  laborer ; 
and  she  pursued  her  studies  amid  what  seemed 
sometimes  to  be  almost  insurmountable  barriers  ; 
but,  having  a  strong  will  and  great  powers  of  en- 
durance, she  overcame  every  obstacle." 

After  this  she  continued  her  studies  at  home  with 
private  tutors,  also  reading  all  the  missionary  liter- 
ature within  her  reach,  and  histories  of  foreign 
countries,  making  herself  as  familiar  as  possible 
with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  of  the 
various  parts  of  the  world — all  this  with  a  view  to 
their  ultimate  salvation.  With  a  divine  eloquence, 
which  only  the  Holy  Ghost  imparts,  her  tongue  was 


Lititia  A.  Campbell.  219 

burning  to  tell  the  story  of  Jesus  and  his  love 
to  those  who,  afar  ofT  in  heathen  lands,  had  never 
heard  it.  She  was  one  of  the  "  sweet  singers  in 
Israel,"  and  often  led  this  part  of  the  devotional  ex- 
ercises in  the  social  meetings  at  home.  One  of  her 
favorite  verses,  and  one  oftener  sung  by  her  than 
any  other,  was 

"0  that  the  world  might  taste  and  see 
The  riches  of  his  grace  ; 
The  arms  of  love  that  compass  me 
Would  all  mankind  embrace." 

At  the  sixth  annual  meeting  of  the  General  Ex- 
ecutive Committee,  convened  in  Baltimore,  May, 
1875,  Miss  Campbell  presented  her  testimonials, 
and  was  accepted  as  a  proper^erson  to  be  employed 
by  the  Society  ;  and  on  the  following  September  20 
she  left  Boston  for  her  distant  field  of  labor.  A 
correspondent  in  "  Zion's  Herald,"  says :  "  The 
North  Avenue  Church,  of  Cambridge,  has  been 
called  to  part  with  one  of  its  most  efficient  mem- 
bers in  the  person  of  Miss  Letitia  A.  Campbell,  who 
is  soon  to  sail  for  Peking,  China,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  She 
has  been  a  member  of  this  Church  since  its  organi- 
zation, and  always  a  faithful  laborer  in  the  Sabbath- 
school,  in  the  Ladies'  Society,  in  the  missionary 
cause.  In  all  the  social  meetings  she  was  our 
*  chief  singer.  Seldom  absent  from  class,  the  last 
class-meeting  found  her  present,  the  last  Sabbath 
was  occupied  by  her  in  church  as  usual,  and  the  last 
prayer-meeting  found  her  in  her  place.  Faithful 
unto  the  last,  she  goes  out  from  us  with  her  record 


220     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

well  made  up,  and  with  the  tenderest  wishes  for  her 
happiness  and  the  most  earnest  prayers  for  her  pros- 
perity and  success  in  missionary  work." 

Several  large  and  highly  interesting  farewell 
meetings  were  held  in  Boston  and  vicinity. 

At  the  Epping  Camp-ground,  New  Hampshire, 
Miss  Campbell's  presence  was  also  an  inspiration. 
The  people  were  much  gratified  in  being  permitted 
to  look  upon  and  listen  to  one  who  was  so  soon  to 
be  their  representative  in  China.  Hearts  were 
touched,  and  many  a  hearty  "  God  bless  you  !  "  fol- 
lowed her  as  she  left  the  ground.  Referring  to  this 
meeting,  a  correspondent  writes  :  "The  only  after- 
exercise,  save  the  pleasantly  interspersed  singing, 
was  the  brief  fareweW  to  our  new  missionary  for 
China.  A  tender  good-bye  was  trembling  upon  the 
lips  of  many  present,  for  Miss  Campbell  was  no 
stranger  in  our  midst.  A  resident  of  Cambridge,  a 
member  of  the  Branch  Executive  Board,  an  efficient 
laborer  in  every  department  of  Christian  activity, 
she  occupied  the  place  of  a  sister  beloved  in  the 
hearts  of  many.  To  yield  her  to  the  foreign  work 
was  a  sacrifice  as  well  as  a  joy.  Her  own  calm, 
quiet  words  on  this  occasion,  full  of  faith  in  Him 
to  whom  she  had  long  since  consecrated  herself,  in- 
creased the  confidence  already  felt  in  her  fitness  for 
the  field  upon  which  she  was  about  to  enter.  We 
trembled  as  we  thought  of  her,  unaccustomed  to 
travel,  commencing  her  long  journey  alone  ;  but  she 
had  no  fear ;  it  would  all  be  well.  She  left  Boston 
September  20,"  and  reached  Yokohama  Novem- 
ber I.     The  passage  thither  was  not  as  pleasant  or  as 


Letitia  A.  Campbell.  221 

speedy  as  is  usual  at  that  season,  the  steamer  being 
ten  days  later  in  reaching  port  than  was  expected. 
Miss  Campbell,  with  characteristic  fidelity  to  the 
cause,  sent  back  the  names  of  three  new  subscribers 
for  the  "  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,"  obtained  on 
shipboard.  Leaving  Yokohama  three  days  later, 
she  arrived  safely  in  Peking,  December  3,  and  en- 
tered at  once  upon  her  missionary  labors. 

Two  months  later  she.  writes  of  a  new  auxiliaxy 
in  the  North  China  Mission  : 

"  At  our  missionary  prayer-meeting  last  Thurs- 
day it  was  proposed  to  form  an  auxiliary  Society, 
to  be  composed  of  all  the  missionaries  and  as  many 
of  the  native  women  as  would  join.  The  object  of 
the  Society  should  be,  to  encourage  these  natives  to 
give  the  little  they  can  spare,  of  money  and  time, 
to  help  others  to  a  knowledge  of  the  Christian  doc- 
trine. The  proposition  was  received  most  heartily 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowry,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker,  and 
Miss  Coombs,  also  by  Mr.  Pyke,  who  came  up  from 
Tientsin  during  the  week  ;  he  also  assured  us  that 
Mrs.  Pyke  would  gladly  aid  this  enterprise.  The 
ladies  appointed  the  following  Saturday  as  the  time 
to  take  the  matter  into  consideration.  According- 
ly, on  the  day  specified  the  Society  was  organized, 
under  the  name  of  the  North  China  Auxiliary  of 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  Mrs. 
Davis  has  consented  to  serve  as  President,  Miss 
Porter,  Mrs.  Lowry,  and  Mrs.  Pyke  as  Vice-presi- 
dents ;  Mrs.  Walker  as  Treasurer,  Miss  Coombs  as 
Recording'Secretary,  and  I  as  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary.    Some  of  the  poor  native  women  will  not  be 


222     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

able  to  pay  a  dollar  a  year  for  membership,  but 
what  they  are  unable  to  give  will  be  made  up  by 
others." 

June  2  she  writes  of  a  growing  interest  in  the 
young  Society,  and  says  :  "  I  send  you  a  sample  of 
some  of  the  work  done  by  one  of  our  school-girls, 
by  which  means  she  obtained  the  dollar  necessary 
for  her  membership  in  our  auxiliary  Missionary  So- 
ciety." In  the  same  letter  she  says  :  "  After  the 
close  of  our  school  prayer-meeting  the  other  even- 
ing, two  little  six-year-old  girls  took  me  by  the 
hand,  and  asked  me  if  I  did  not  think  they  were 
Jesus'  little  lambs.  On  being  answered  that  I 
thought  they  were,  they  bade  me  good-night  with  a 
happy  smile,  showing  plainly  that  no  doubt  troubled 
their  hearts.  Neither  did  I  doubt,  '  for  of  such  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.'  " 

Miss  Campbell's  life  was  a  deeply  spiritual  one,  as 
all  her  letters  testify.  In  one  of  the  last  she  ever 
wrote  she  gives  the  following  experience,  precious 
at  any  time,  doubly  so  since  we  shall  hear  from  her 
no  more : 

"  Mission  life  does  not  consist  in  giving  up  friends 
and  the  comforts  of  home — it  means  all  for  Jesus. 
In  no  stage  of  my  Christian  life  have  I  found  it 
sweeter  to  trust  in  the  leading  and  teaching  of  the 
Spirit  than  at  this  time.  We  have,  O !  so  many 
things  to  discourage  and  depress  us ;  but  they  keep 
us  humble,  and  conscious  that  of  *  ourselves  we  can 
do  nothing.'  So  many  times  have  I  found  it  easy 
for  the  Lord  to  accomplish  his  purpose,  when,  to 
human  understanding,  the  way  has  been  altogether 


Letitia  A.  Campbell.  223 

closed !  My  soul  is  calmly  resting  in  the  promise 
of  Christ."  Still  later,  "  I  have  precious  commun- 
ion with  God,  and  unwavering  trust  in  him." 

In  a  letter  written  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Johnson,  a 
short  time  before  her  death,  she  says :  "  I  never  so 
fully  realized  the  great  importance  of  the  work  as  at 
this  time.  For  truly  the  harvest  is  great  and  the 
laborers  few,  and  each  day  this  vast  empire  seems 
to  be  opening  more  and  more  to  the  spread  of  the 
Gospel." 

With  such  qualifications  for  usefulness — with  a 
heart  all  aglow  with  love  for  the  perishing — in  the 
very  spring-time  of  life,  amid  the  bloom  of  youth 
and  health,  with  such  prospects  of  an  abundant  har- 
vest if  permitted  to  sow  the  seed,  it  hardly  seemed 
possible  that  her  work  on  earth  was  to  terminate  so 
soon.     But 

"God  is  his  own  interpreter, 
And  he  will  make  it  plain." 

She  continued  working  on,  cheerfully,  hopefully, 
but,  alas !  too  constantly,  until  her  physical  system, 
worn  by  her  unceasing  labors,  gave  way,  and  she 
was  prostrated  with  that  dreadful  disease,  typhus 
fever.  She  fell  at  her  post ;  refusing  to  yield  to  the 
approaching  enemy,  until  yielding  was  inevitable. 
The  most  satisfactory  account  of  her  illness  and 
death  we  find  in  Miss  Porter's  letter  to  Mrs.  John- 
son, Miss  Campbell's  only  sister,  which  appeared 
first  in  "  Zion's  Herald."  We  know  it  will  be  read 
with  interest  by  the  many  friends  of  missions  whose 
hearts  have  been  touched  by  this  afflictive  dispensa- 
tion of  divine  Providence. 


224    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  You  know  how  our  Fa- 
ther puts  his  arms  about  his  afflicted  ones,  and  helps 
them  to  bear  the  sorrows  which  he  himself  sends. 
You  have  found  Christ  your  refuge.  Knowing  that 
his  presence  will  sustain  you,  I  take  up  the  sorrow- 
ful task,  and  write  you  what  we  think  you  would 
like  to  know  of  the  illness  and  death  of  your  dear 
sister. 

"  The  first  symptoms  of  fever  appeared  on  Mon- 
day, May  5,  but  she  did  not  finally  take  to  her  bed 
until  the  following  Friday,  one  week  and  a  day  be- 
fore she  died.  On  Monday  she  gave  me  a  few  gen- 
eral directions  as  to  the  disposal  of  her  effects  in 
case  she  should  not  recover.  On  Tuesday  her  mind 
wandered,  and  after  that  her  disease  progressed  rap- 
idly. A  few  hours  before  dying  she  was  trying  to 
sing,  *  The  Cleansing  Wave,'  but  she  seemed  troub- 
led to  recall  the  words,  and  repeated  many  times, 
*  Cleanseth  me,  it  cleanseth  me.'  She  called  for  me 
to  sing  it  for  her,  and  I  found  her  saying  over  and 
over  the  words  of  the  chorus.  Soon  after  this  she 
went  into  an  unconscious  state,  in  which  she  died. 
She  died  quietly  and  restfully,  without  return  to 
consciousness. 

"Arrangements  were  made  at  once  for  the  fu- 
neral. A  grave  was  prepared  in  the  English  bury- 
ing-ground,  where  are  already  buried  a  number  of 
missionaries  and  children  of  missionaries,  besides 
many  other  foreigners. 

"The  services  were  held  in  our  Mission  Chapel, 
on  the  Sabbath  morning  following  the  day  of  her 
death.     Mr.  Davis  and  Mr.  Walker  conducted  the 


Letitia  A.  Campbell.  225 

services,  which  were  partly  in  Chinese  and  partly  in 
English.  A  sympathetic  company  of  missionary 
and  other  friends,  together  with  many  Chinese, 
gathered  to  pay  this  last  tribute  to  our  sister.  Mr. 
Seward,  American  Minister  to  the  Chinese  govern- 
ment, and  the  Secretary  of  Legation,  with  their 
wives,  were  present,  Mr.  Davis  read  the  funeral 
service  at  the  grave.  The  cemetery  is  quite  out 
from  the  cit)'-,  approached  by  a  long  avenue  shaded 
by  close-planted  trees,  and  is  shady  and  beautiful 
inside — a  quiet  resting-place,  well  kept  and  cared 
for.  We  always  have  an  English  service  on  Sab- 
bath evening,  after  the  day's  work  among  the  Chi- 
nese. On  the  Sabbath  evening  of  the  day  of  your 
sister's  burial.  Dr.  Edkins,  who  conducted  the  exer- 
cises, made  it  a  funeral  service. 

"  Perhaps  you  would  feel  better  to  know  that 
your  sister  was  not  exposed  to  the  fever  more  than 
any  are  who  breathe  in  this  fever-laden  air.  She 
had  not  been  visiting  people  sick  with  the  fever. 
Several  missionaries  have  had  the  fever,  and  two 
have  died  in  Peking,  two  in  Tientsin,  and  one  in 
the  south.  The  famine  that  has  carried  off  so 
many  thousands  has  filled  the  air  with,  pestilence. 
We  have  had  some  rain  and  heavy  wind,  and  the 
doctors  think  there  is  a  decided  change  for  the 
better. 

"  My  sad  task  is  completed.  Our  prayers  for 
you  and  your  family  circle,  so  sorely  bereft,  follow 
this  message,  with  love  and  sympathy. 

"  Mary  Q.  Porter." 

"  Peking,  May  21,  1878." 


226    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lowry  writes :  "  Just  as  Brother  Pilcher 
and  myself  are  starting  upon  our  tour,  a  special 
courier  from  Peking  brings  the  sad  news  of  Miss 
Campbell's  death,  on  the  i8th  of  this  month,  (May.) 
She  was  buried  on  Sunday,  the  19th,  in  the  English 
Cemetery,  outside  the  west  wall  of  Peking.  In  her 
we  have  lost  one  of  our  most  earnest  workers,  and 
the  entire  Church  a  most  devoted  missionary.  She 
was  physically  very  much  worn  down  when  the 
fever  laid  hold  on  her.  In  addition  to  the  skill  of 
Miss  Dr.  Howard,  she  had  the  attendance  of  both 
Dr.  Bushnell,  of  the  British  Legation,  and  Dr.  Col- 
lins, of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  as  well  as 
the  most  constant  and  efificient  nursing  of  several 
of  the  ladies.  But  all  that  medical  skill  and  affec- 
tionate care  of  her  companions  could  do  was  una- 
vailing. The  testimony  of  her  pure  life,  her  sincere 
friendship,  and  her  devotion  to  the  work,  for  which 
she  was  peculiarly  adapted,  will  ever  remain  dear  to 
us  who  for  three  years  have  shared  her  labors." 

The  following  remarks  of  Dr.  Edkins,  of  the  Lon- 
don Mission,  Peking,  also  testify  to  her  worth : 
"  To-night  we  are  reminded  that  our  ranks  are  again 
broken.  A  familiar  form  has  left  us.  A  voice  we 
used  to  hear  in  the  music  of  our  worship  is  hushed 
in  the  silence  of  the  tomb.  A  missionary  sister, 
eminently  diligent  and  laborious  in  the  discharge 
of  her  duties,  has  suddenly  been  removed.  Last 
Monday  she  made  all  preparations  for  the  approach 
of  the  last  enemy,  and  after  having  placed  in  friend- 
ly hands  all  requisite  arrangements,  and  sent  her  last 
messages,  she  said,  '  And  now  can  I  not  trust  all  in 


Lctitia  A,  Campbell.  227 

the  hands  of  Jesus  ?'  That  was  the  spirit  with  which 
she  met  death  only  yesterday* 

*'  Miss  Campbell  had  great  vigor  of  determination, 
and  great  persistence  in  action.  She  had  a  quick 
sense  of  duty,  and  an  unflinching  energy  in  doing 
it.  She  was  remarkably  kind  to  the  Chinese  with 
whom  she  was  brought  in  connection,  and  won  their 
uniform  testimony  to  her  amiability.  Two  years 
and  a  half  was  a  period  too  short  for  our  hopes,  but 
■was  enough  to  enable  her  friends  to  see  that  she  was 
adapted  by  disposition  and  gifts  for  achieving  much 
useful  work  for  the  Master. 

"  She  labored  energetically  in  the  Girls'  School  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission.  While  she  had 
its  entire  control  for  fourteen  months,  her  zeal  and 
devotion  were  such  that  the  standard  of  attainment 
became  considerably  higher,  and  improvement  was 
manifest  in  every  department.  With  characteristic 
devotion  she  attended  weekly  meetings  for  women 
in  the  Chinese  city.  Of  her  we  all  feel  that  it  may 
be  said,  '  She  hath  done  what  she  could.'  We  rec- 
ognize in  her  one  of  that  noble  band  of  sisters,  who, 
having  sat  themselves  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  willingly 
devote  time  and  effort  to  lead  others  to  listen  to  the 
same  Teacher,  whose  instructions  are  so  sweet  and 
so  winning,  so  salutary  and  so  blessed. 

"We  need  many  more  such  missionaries  as  Miss 
Campbell,  marked  by  her  simplicity  of  purpose  and 
earnest  determination  to  carry  through  the  various 
departments  of  Christian  work  among  women  and 
girls.  But  He  who  first  said  to  her,  '  Go  work  to- 
day in  my  vineyard,'  has  come  again,  and  said  quite 


228     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

early,  without  waiting  for  further  proof  of  her  devo- 
tion, '  Well  done,  gocd  and  faithful  servant ;  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.*  " 

A  mournful  interest  attaches  itself  to  Miss  Camp- 
bell's death,  from  the  fact  that  of  all  the  noble  band 
of  laborers  sent  out  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  during  the  first  decade  of  its  exist- 
ence, she  was  th&  first  whom  death  has  claimed.  Not 
the  first  lost,  but  saved — CROWNED  ;  the  first  to  ex- 
change labor  for  reward — "  these  light  afflictions  " 
of  earth  for  the  "  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory." 

Her  life  was  brief,  but  in  it  there  are  thoughts  of 
pleasure  as  well  as  pain. 

"  If  now  in  youth,  or  when  the  head  be  hoary, 
Earth's  ties  are  riven  ; 
I  know  that  sudden  death  is  sudden  glory. 
To  heirs  of  heaven. 

The  traveler's  glad,  when  weary  with  liis  journey, 

The  end  to  see : 
If  short  thy  way  that  leads  to  joys  immortal, 

'Tis  gain  to  thee." 

She  went  from  us  in  the  glory  of  her  young  wom- 
anhood. Her  eye  had  not  dimmed  nor  her  natural 
strength  abated.  There  was  no  decay  in  bodily 
organs  or  mental  powers  ;  her  zeal  was  not  quenched 
nor  her  ambition  fettered.  She  went  in  the  glory 
of  her  prime. 

She  enjoyed  the  time  of  budding,  blossoming,  and 
fruitage  ;  then  God,  with  timely  hand,  prevented 
the  sad  season  of  her  withering.     She  will  always 


Lctitia  A,  Campbell.  229 

be  to  us  an  honor  and  delight,  a  treasure  of  the 
memory,  a  joy  unutterable.  The  summer's  sun  and 
winter's  storm  will  never  whiten  her  locks  ;  time 
will  not  furrow  her  cheek,  nor  take  the  cheerful 
smile  from  her  lips.  She  will  always  remain  the 
same  generous,  self-sacrificing,  loving  soul  that  she 
has  been,  and  will  live  forever  in  our  memory  in  the 
beauty  of  her  undimmed  youth. 

Miss  Campbell's  work  is  done  ;  she  has  fulfilled 
her  mission,  served  her  generation,  and  is  fallen 
asleep  in  Jesus.  Who  will  fill  her  place  ?  God  has 
infinite  resources.  Our  little  mission  in  Peking 
will  not  suffer  because  Jesus  has  said  to  one  whom 
he  loved,  "  It  is  enough,  come  up  higher."  The 
flagstaff  has  fallen  from  the  hands  of  one  palsied  in 
death.  Forward,  young  ladies  !  Fill  the  breach. 
Lift  up  the  standard,  and  cheer  onward  the  hosts 
of  God's  elect  until  the  world  is  won  to  Christ — until' 

"  Mightiest  kings  his  power  shall  own  ; 
Heathen  tribes  his  name  adore; 
Satan  and  his  host,  o'erthrown, 

Bound  in  chains,  shall  hurt  no  more." 

Miss  Campbell  died  well.  Though  far  from  home 
and  kindred,  she  was  not  alone ;  Jesus  was  with  her 
in  the  misty  valley  in  the  place  of  those  she  loved  ; 
and  she  leaned  her  head  upon  his  bosom,  and  sweet- 
ly breathed  her  life  away. 

Farewell,  dear  sister  !  Sweet  be  thy  slumber !  We 
may  not  visit  thy  grave  to  weep  over  it  and  plant 
with  loving  hands  the  flowers  of  affection  upon  it ; 
but  the  beautiful  shade  trees,  like  faithful  sentinels, 


230     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

shall  guard  it.  Nature's  own  tear-drops  will  fall 
gently  upon  our  loved  one's  dust,  and  the  birds  sing 
their  requiem  in  that  far-off  land  where  thou  art 
sleeping. 

Toward  thy  resting-place  will  turn  the  hearts  of 
thousands  whose  eyes  never  saw  it.  Around  it  will 
cluster  the  affections  of  the  good.  Upon  it  and  into 
it  the  light  of  the  Gospel  shines  with  effulgent 
beam,  and  promises  to  reclaim  thy  sacred  dust  to  a 
glorious  resurrection  life. 


Seventh  Annual  Meeting,  231 


SEVENTH  ANNUAL  MEETING. 

THE  seventh  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Executive 
Committee  was  held  in  the  Metropolitan 
Church,  Washington,  D.  C,  May  10,  1876.  The 
session  was  opened  by  reading  of  Scripture  by  Miss 
Hart,  of  Baltimore,  and  prayer  by  Jennie  F.  Will- 
ing, of  Chicago.  Mrs.  Dr.  Hibbard  was  chosen 
President,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Warren,  editor  of  the 
"  Heathen  Woman's  Friend,"  Secretary,  and  Mrs. 
Gracey,  returned  missionary.  Assistant  Secretary. 
There  was  an  unusually  large  number  of  elect  ladies 
present  from  all  parts  of  the  country ;  and,  looking 
upon  that  noble  band  of  Christian  workers — of  cult- 
ured, consecrated  women — it  ceased  to  be  a  wonder 
that  the  once  little  Society  had  grown  to  such  large 
proportions,  and  that  its  influence  in  the  Church 
was  beginning  to  be  felt  from  center  to  circumfer- 
ence. After  the  organization  a  committee  from  the 
Washington  Preachers'  Meeting  was  introduced, 
which  extended  most  kindly  greetings  from  that 
body. 

"  The  Corresponding  Secretaries  of  the  different 
Branches  presented  their  reports.  They  were  teem- 
ing with  interest  and  encouragement,  and,  although 
during  the  past  year  pressure  was  felt  in  every  di- 
rection, yet  they  were  able  to  show  advancement 

every -where,  which  called  forth  gratitude  from  every 
15 


232     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

heart."  Mrs.  W.  A.  Ingham  was  present,  as  Corre- 
sponding Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch,  in 
place  of  Mrs.  Doughty,  deceased.  The  meeting 
was  characterized  by  deep  religious  feeling,  entire 
consecration,  while  with  united  faith  they  claimed 
"  the  whole  wide  world  for  Jesus."  There  were 
representatives  in  person  from  China,  Formosa,  In- 
dia, and  Mexico.  Drs.  Thoburn  and  Gracey,  and 
Miss  Swain,  our  returned  medical  missionary,  were 
also  present. 

Among  other  distinguished  visitors,  Bishop  Car- 
man, of  Canada,  was  introduced  to  the  ladies,  and, 
in  a  brief  but  beautiful  address,  referred  to  the  fact 
that  he  was  a  Briton.  He  was  proud  of  his  nativ- 
ity, proud  that  his  sovereign  was  a  woman — a 
queen  !  They  often  sang  in  Canada  "  God  save  the 
Queen  !  "  He  then  pronounced  an  eloquent  eulogy 
upon  the  queenly  women  before  him,  and  said  that 
the  queenliest  of  queenly  women  were  those  en- 
gaged in  the  blessed  work  of  evangelizing  the 
world,  lifting  up  the  fallen,  and  rescuing  their  own 
sex  from  superstition,  darkness,  and  death. 

The  anniversary  was  held  in  the  Metropolitan 
Church,  and  was  thought  to  be  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting anniversaries  ever  held  by  the  Society. 
Rev.  Mr.  Black,  of  Washington,  presided,  and  made 
a  comprehensive  opening  address.  Addresses  were 
delivered  by  Dr.  Thoburn,  of  India,  and  Mrs.  Dr. 
Hibbard,  of  Clifton  Springs,  New  York.  Four  new 
missionaries  were  appointed  :  L.  H.  Green,  M,D., 
and  Mary  F.  Cary,  to  India ;  Nettie  C.  Ogden,  to 
Mexico  ;  and  Olive  Whiting,  to  Japan. 


Seventh  Annual  Meeting.  233 

May  13,  Mrs.  Dr.  Newman  invited  the  ladier,  to 
an  excursion  to  Arlington  Heights,  once  the  home 
of  General  Robert  E.  Lee.  This  delightful  drive, 
together  with  the  entertainment  at  Mrs.  Somer's, 
of  Mount  Vernon  Seminary,  (sister  of  the  late  Dr. 
Eddy,)  and  at  Mrs.  General  Gowan's,  (Dr.  Thoburn's 
sister,)  will  linger  long  in  the  memory  of  those  who 
were  so  fortunate  as  to  be  in  attendance. 

May  15,  Mrs.  President  Grant  gave  the  ladies  a 
reception  at  the  White  House,  The  ladies  were 
presented  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Newman  to  Secretary  Bout- 
well,  and  by  him  to  the  President  and  family.  Mrs. 
Fred.  Grant,  Mrs.  Senator  Logan,  Mrs.  Governor 
Beveridge,  and  other  distinguished  ladies,  were  pres- 
ent. President  Grant  asked  Mrs.  Dr.  Hibbard  (our 
President)  if  this  was  her  third  term.  She  replied 
that  it  was  only  her  second.  He  said  he  thought  it 
about  time  for  the  agitation  to  begin  with  regard  to 
the  third  term.  Mrs.  Grant  said,  she  regarded  the 
work  in  which  the  ladies  were  engaged  as  one  of  the 
noblest  in  the  world,  and  should  consider  herself  a 
member  of  our  Society. 

After  an  hour  of  delightful  conversation  refresh- 
ments were  served,  after  which  the  President  of- 
fered his  arm  to  Mrs.  Dr.  Hibbard,  and  Ulysses 
Grant,  Jan.,  proffered  his  to  Miss  Annie  Luisun,  of 
Shang  Nui,  China,  who  was  dressed  in  full  Chinese 
costume,  both  of  which  were  accepted,  and,  the  rest 
of  the  company  following,  they  were  conducted  into 
the  East  Room  and  from  thence  to  the  Blue  Room, 
where  the  ladies  were  invited  to  sing  and  pray. 
Mrs.  Keen,  of  Phj'adelphia,  led  in  singing  "  Rock 


234    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

of  Ages  "  and  "  I  Love  to  tell  the  Story,"  and  Mrs. 
Dr.  Hibbard  made  a  most  impressive  and  appropri- 
ate prayer.  Thus  ended  this  highly  interesting 
occasion. 

On  Friday,  the  19th,  the  ladies  made  an  excursion 
to  Mount  Vernon. 

We  were  unwilling  on  this,  the  centennial  year  of 
our  nation,  to  return  to  our  northern  homes  without 
visiting  the  tomb  of  him  who  laid  the  foundations 
of  this  great  Republic,  and  who,  though  dead,  yet 
speaketh,  and  is  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men. The  tomb  is  built  of  brick.  Within  the  in- 
closure,  in  two  lead  coffins,  each  in  a  beautiful  mar- 
ble sarcophagus,  rest  th-e  remains  of  George  and 
Martha  Washington.  In  the  rear,  just  over  the 
coffins,  is  a  marble  tablet  with  the  words,  "  I  am  the 
resurrection  and  the  life ;  whosoever  believeth  in 
me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live,  and  who- 
soever liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die." 

Leaving  the  tomb,  we  went  directly  to  Washing- 
ton's private  room,  the  "  chamber  where  the  good 
man  met  his  fate,"  and  looked  at  the  furniture,  and 
a  fac  simile  of  the  very  bed  on  which  he  died  ;  and 
as  we  gazed  with  indescribable  emotions  we  realized 
more  fully  than  ever  before  that — 

"  Though  we  wade  in  wealth,  or  soar  in  fame, 
Earth's  highest  station  ends  in  'Here  he  lies,' 
And  dust  to  dust  concludes  her  noblest  song." 


Lucilla  H.  Green,  M.D.  235 


LUCILLA  H.  GREEN,  M.D. 

AMONG  the  heroic,  consecrated  spirits  who 
cheerfully  gave  up  all  for  Christ,  and  laid 
down  their  lives  for  his  cause,  is  Lucilla  Holcomb 
Green.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Enoch  and 
Martha  A.  Green,  of  the  New  Jersey  Conference, 
and  was  born,  July  15,  1853,  at  Lambertville,  New 
Jersey,  and  died  at  Nynee  Tal,  India,  Septem- 
ber 30,  1878. 

Her  early  childhood  was  marked  by  a  power  and 
grasp  of  mind,  as  well  as  a  strength  of  judgment,  un- 
usual for  one  of  her  years.  She  seemed  to  take  in 
knowledge  almost  as  if  by  intuition  and  without 
effort,  and  hence  her  mind  easily  and  rapidly  devel- 
oped. To  this  was  added  an  acute  tenderness  of 
conscience  and  an  understanding  in  religious  things 
that  was  quite  in  keeping  with  her  natural  strength 
of  mind.  When  not  more  than  six  years  of  age, 
often,  after  prayer  had  been  offered  in  the  family  by 
visiting  clergymen  or  others,  who  would  pray  espe- 
cially for  the  children,  she  would  go  to  her  mother, 
and,  laying  her  head  in  her  lap,  would  say,  with 
sobs  and  tears,  "  Mother,  I  do  want  to  be  good,  I 
do  want  to  be  a  better  little  girl." 

Her  education  was  received  chiefly  at  home,  where 
she  studied  the  English  branches  and  Latin,  assist- 
ed by  her  father,  who  took  great  pleasure  in  watch- 


236    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

ing  her  mind's  development,  and  in  rendering  her 
the  aid  she  needed.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  she  en- 
tered Pennington  Seminary,  New  Jersey.  Here 
she  was  an  earnest,  ambitious,  and  successful  stu- 
dent, and  speedily  became  the  leader  in  every  thing 
good.  Her  teacher  writes :  "  She  was  eminently 
religious,  and  took  charge  of  all  the  religious  meet- 
ings on  the  ladies'  side.  She  had  all  the  womanli- 
ness of  years,  and  yet  was  so  like  a  child  in  her 
frankness  and  simplicity  and  loving  spirit."  In 
July,  1870,  she  graduated,  taking  the  highest  honors 
of  her  class. 

With  a  burning  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  an  ar- 
dent desire  for  self-improvement  and  usefulness,  she 
then  commenced  the  reading  of  medicine  under 
private  tutorship,  and  in  the  fall  of  1871  entered 
the  Woman's  Medical  College,  where  she  graduated 
with  the  first  honors  of  the  class  in  March,  1875. 
She  remained  several  months  after  in  the  hospital 
as  an  assistant  physician,  in  order  to  perfect  herself 
in  her  profession. 

So  early  and  so  gradual  was  the  development  of 
her  religious  life  that  it  is  difficult  to  fix  upon  the 
exact  time  as  to  when  she  experienced  converting 
grace  Her  case  reminds  us  of  the  words  of  Jesus, 
"  So  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  if  a  man  should  cast 
seed  into  the  ground  ;  and  should  sleep,  and  rise 
night  and  day,  and  the  seed  should  spring  and  grow 
up,  he  knoweth  not  how."  But  the  time  came  when 
her  experience  took  on  a  more  decidedly  religious 
phase.  In  the  fall  of  1861,  while  her  father  was  sta- 
tioned at  Long  Branch,  New  Jersey,  after  a  sermon, 


Lu cilia  H.  Green,  M.D.  Zlf 

one  Sabbat'i  evening,  by  Rev.  G.  F.  Brown,  D.D., 
she  immediitely  came  forward  and  knelt  at  the  altar, 
when  she  commenced  crying  and  sobbing  for  mercy ; 
and  continued  to  do  so  until  the  close  of  the  meet- 
ing, and  for  some  time  after  she  reached  home,  until 
she  retired  to  rest,  and  her  sobs  were  at  last  lost  in 
sleep.  "At  this  time,"  says  her  father,  "she  seemed 
to  give  every  evidence  of  deep,  sincere  repentance 
for  sin,  though  what  the  dear  child  had  to  repent 
of  we  scarcely  knew,  so  thoroughly  and  tenderly 
conscientious  had  she  always  been."  She  was  then 
about  eight  years  of  age.  Though  at  so  tender  an 
age  she  manifested  much  concern  as  to  the  nature 
of  faith,  and,  going  with  a  younger  sister  (who  was 
also  at  the  time  deeply  affected)  to  the  mothei',  she 
eagerly  asked,  "  Mother,  what  is  it  to  believe  ?  we 
know  what  it  is  to  repent,  but  what  is  faith?" 
After  the  explanation  was  given  she  seemed  com- 
forted and  happy. 

In  regard  to  the  expression  of  her  religious  feel- 
ings she  was  very  quiet  and  undemonstrative,  say- 
ing but  little  with  regard  to  herself.  She,  however, 
soon  showed  such  a  strength  of  understanding  and 
ripeness  of  experience  in  spiritual  things,  as  to  leave 
no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  those  who  knew  her  best 
as  to  the  thoroughness  of  the  change  which  had 
been  wrought. 

Soon  after  this  she  became  anxious  to  partake  of 
the  sacrament,  and  expressed  to  her  mother  her  de- 
sire to  do  so,  but  her  mother  soothingly  replied 
that  she  was  yet  very  young  to  go  to  the  Lord's 
table,  and  that  perhaps  it  might  be  better  for  her  to 


238    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

wait  awhile  until  she  should  get  a  little  older.  But 
she,  looking  up  at  her  mother  wistfully  and  with 
tears  running  down  her  face,  said,  "  Why,  mother,  I 
do  understand." 

Prior  to  her  being  called  to  India  by  the  ladies 
of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  she  had 
never  expressed  herself  as  feeling  specially  called  to 
missionary  work,  but  we  have  reason  to  believe  that 
she  had  at  times  felt  drawings  in  this  direction,  and 
had  come  to  have  a  conviction  that  this  would 
eventually  be  her  destiny.  In  a  diary  kept  by  her 
while  at  Pennington  Seminary  she  makes  the  follow- 
ing entry,  after  hearing  a  sermon  by  Rev.  S.  Parker, 
then  stationed  at  Pennington:  "Jan.  10,  1869 — Mr. 
Parker's  sermon  was  better  than  usual  to-day — a 
missionary  sermon.  He  made  a  strong  appeal  to 
the  young  to  consecrate  themselves  to  the  mission- 
ary work.  I  wonder  if  I  will  ever  feel  it  my  duty 
to  wander  on  the  plains  under  an  Indian  sun,  or 
mingle  with  China's  strange  inhabitants  to  teach  of 
Jesus?  If  it  is  ever  my  lot,  may  I  be  willing  and 
cheerful,  remembering  all  Jesus  has  done  for  me!" 

This,  considering  the  prompt  and  cheerful  man- 
ner in  which  she  entered  upon  the  particular  mis- 
sion to  which  she  was  afterward  called,  seems  almost 
prophetic.  She  did  not,  however,  enter  upon  the 
study  of  medicine  with  a  view  to  this  work.  But 
she  was,  without  doubt,  providentially  led  thereto, 
as  a  prerequisite  for  the  work  which  God  was  pre- 
paring for  her. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  General  Executive 
Committee,  convened  in  Washington,  D.  C,  May, 


Lucilla  H.  Green,  M.D.  239 

1876,  reference  was  made  to  Miss  Green's  call  to 
the  missionary  work,  and,  on  invitation  of  the  com- 
mittee, Mrs.  TapHn  gave  a  most  interesting  account 
of  the  manner  in  which  Miss  Green  was  found. 
Miss  Swain,  whose  health  was  suffering  from  over- 
work, must  be  relieved.  Her  place  must  be  filled 
by  a  competent  person,  where  or  how  to  be  ob- 
tained she  could  not  tell.  Many  unsuccessful  at- 
tempts had  been  made  to  secure  a  medical  mission- 
ary. In  her  extremity  she  concluded  to  ''  take  it  to 
the  Lord  in  prayer."  Her  attention  was  at  once  di- 
rected to  Miss  Green.  She  wrote  to  her.  The  first 
reply  was  a  negative,  but  something  in  the  letter  con- 
vinced her  that  Miss  Green  was  the  help  long  sought 
for.  She  did  not  wish  to  urge  her,  but,  selecting  two 
quotations  from  missionaries  in  the  field,  one  from  a 
letter  from  Mrs.  Parker,  the  other  from  a  letter  writ- 
ten by  Miss  Sparkes,  without  note  or  comment  she 
sent  them  to  her.  After  reading  them,  and  consult- 
ing with  her  parents.  Miss  Green  decided  to  accept 
the  call  as  from  the  Lord,  and  wrote  to  Mrs.  Taplin 
"I  am  willing  to  go,  and  do  the  best  I  can." 

As  Mrs.  Taplin  closed  the  narrative  every  heart 
seemed  thrilled,  and  many  eyes  were  moist  with 
tears.  In  view  of  this  special  answer  to  prayer,  the 
president  asked  the  Committee  to  unite  in  singing 
the  verse — 

"  Depend  on  him  ;  thou  canst  not  fail; 

Make  all  thy  wants  and  wishes  known  ; 
Fear  not;  his  merits  must  prevail: 
Ask  but  in  faith,  it  shall  be  done." 

After  making  the    necessary  arrangements    she 

sailed  from  New  York  for  India,  January  i,  1876, 


240     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

and  arrived  at  Bombay,  after  a  safe  and  pleasant 
voyage,  on  the  25th  of  February  following,  having 
for  her  traveling  companion  the  Rev.  N.  G.  Cheney, 
who  was  also  going  out  as  a  missionary  to  Nynee 
Tal,  India,  to  take  charge  of  an  English  congrega- 
tion at  that  place,  under  the  supervision  of  the  par- 
ent Board.  After  a  short  rest  she  passed  on  to 
Bareilly,  and  entered  at  once  upon  the  work  to 
which  she  had  been  assigned.  Her  work  here  was 
one  of  grave  responsibility,  and  especially  so  for  one 
so  young  and  inexperienced  ;  yet  she  showed  her- 
self entirely  adequate  to  the  position,  exhibiting, 
as  all  the  missionaries  who  knew  her  testify,  a  skill 
and  judgment  quite  beyond  her  years.  Her  time 
here  was  almost  wholly  taken  up  with  the  duties  of 
her  medical  profession,  she  often  having  from  forty 
to  fifty  patients  in  attendance  at  her  morning  clinics 
to  examine  and  prescribe  for. 

On  January  24,  1878,  she  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Rev.  N.  G.  Cheney,  in  the  Mission  Chapel  at 
Bareilly.  She  then  removed  from  our  special  med- 
ical work  in  Bareilly  to  Nynee  Tal. 

Notwithstanding  we,  as  a  Society,  felt  a  sense  of 
loss,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  she  was  actuated 
by  the  purest  of  motives,  and  in  this,  as  in  all  other 
important  steps  of  her  life,  followed  what  she  con- 
ceived to  be  the  leadings  of  Providence,  the  all-ab- 
sorbing desire  of  her  heart  being  to  glorify  God  and 
win  souls  to  Christ.  In  a  letter  to  her  mother, 
written  a  short  time  before  her  marriage,  she  says : 
"  Nor  is  this  new  love  allowed  to  usurp  the  place 
of  Christ  in  my  heart ;  for,  much  as  I  love  Mr.  C, 


Liicilla  H.  Green,  M.D.  241 

I  could  freely  give  up  all  for  Christ's  sake  if  duty 
required  it  at  my  hands."  Again,  shortly  after,  she 
says :  "  Our  marriage  means  no  seeking  of  any 
merely  personal,  selfish  satisfaction  within  ourselves, 
but  broader,  deeper  work  for  God." 

At  Nynee  Tal  she  entered  heartily  into  all  her 
husband's  plans,  and  became  an  earnest  co-laborer 
with  him  in  the  work  of  saving  souls.  She  was  con- 
stant in  her  labors  among  rich  and  poor,  administer- 
ing to  both  soul  and  body.  She  was  Mr.  Cheney's 
constant  companion  in  all  his  parish  visiting,  and 
oftentimes,  after  they  returned  home,  she  would  go 
back  again  alone  to  visit  some  interesting  cases, 
talking  and  praying  with  them,  and  weeping  over 
them,  to  bring  them  to  Christ. 

In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Taplin,  written  September  2, 
1878,  the  last  month  of  her  earthly  life,  she  says: 
"  The  year  has  more  than  half  gone,  and  the 
months  as  they  have  gone  by  have  been  filled  with 
earnest,  prayerful  endeavor  for  God,  and  not  with- 
out his  manifest  blessing.  Some  medical  work 
opens  up  in  this  place.  I  have  converted  part  of 
one  of  the  closets  in  my  home  into  a  little  dispen- 
satory, and  receive  patients  here,  visiting  them  also 
at  their  own  houses  in  the  bazaar.  The  principal 
druggist  of  the  place  has  made  most  liberal  terms 
for  furnishing  medicine  and  for  filling  out  receipts, 
and  I  find  the  patients  very  willing  to  procure  their 
own  medicines.  One  place  where  I  visited  as  phy- 
sician opened  up  to  us  a  house  where  many  women 
congregated  gladly  listening  to  the  word.  Sister 
Judd,  whose  health  is  very  poor,  has  given  over  to 


242     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

me  the  charge  of  the  zenana  work  here,  and  while 
we  have  only  two  Bible-women,  yet  I  never  knew 
more  faithful  and  zealous  ones  than  they.  Our  En- 
glish work  here  is  full  of  interest,  and  while  often 
laborious,  still  we  feel  that  it  is  a  labor  that  God 
does  not  forget.  This  afternoon  we  have  two 
meetings ;  one,  our  monthly  missionary  prayer- 
meeting  with  our  workers  ;  the  other  is  a  meet- 
ing for  mothers  and  wives  among  the  soldiers*  wives 
of  the  place,  than  whom  a  more  forsaken  and  for- 
lorn class  of  people  could  scarcely  be  found.  These 
days  seem  full  of  the  presence  of  God  to  me,  and 
I  am  very  happy — happy  in  that  he  gives  me  work 
to  do  in  his  own  needy  vineyard," 

But  in  the  midst  of  her  usefulness,  with  all  her 
plans  and  bright  hopes  for  the  future,  she  was  sud- 
denly stricken  down.  On  Saturday,  September  28, 
1878,  she  was  seized  with  Asiatic  cholera,  and  in 
forty-eight  hours  the  struggle  and  suffering  were 
over,  and  her  pure  disembodied  spirit  entered  into 
the  joy  of  her  Lord',  A  few  hours  previous  to  her 
death  she  rallied,  and  the  physician  had  strong  hopes 
that  the  crisis  was  passed,  and  that  she  would  get 
up  again.  But  soon  the  disease  seemed  to  assume 
a  new  and  more  dangerous  phase,  and  she  became 
unconscious,  in  which  state  she  continued  until  she 
calmly  and  sweetly  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 

The  peculiar  nature  of  her  disease  did  not  allow 
of  her  leaving  any  special  dying  testimony ;  but  we 
need  none,  "  She  was  ever  ready,"  is  the  universal 
testimony  of  all  the  missionaries  who  best  knew  her 
and  her  work.     The  expressions  of  popular  regard 


Liicilla  H.  Green,  M.D.  243 

shown  for  her  memory  and  worth  at  her  funeral,  by 
"both  rich  and  poor,  prove  conclusively  how  deep 
was  the  hold  she  had  upon  their  confidence  and  af- 
fection. Multitudes  of  poor  natives,  who  were  not 
in  the  habit  of  attending  English  funerals  in  India, 
came  and  begged  the  privilege  of  attending  with  the 
rest.  When  told  they  could  do  so,  they  came  in 
crowds,  bearing  with  them  beautiful  bouquets  of 
flowers,  with  which  they  strewed  her  coffin  and 
grave,  their  eyes  streaming  with  tears,  showing  the 
strength  and  sincerity  of  their  emotion. 

"  Such  a  funeral,"  says  Mrs.  M'Grew,  "  was  never 
known  in  Nynee  Tal,  as  the  oldest  inhabitants  there 
testify."  Twenty-five  Englishmen  were  selected  to 
bear  her  coffin  on  their  shoulders,  by  turns,  to  its 
burial,  and  the  English  flag  on  the  government 
buildings  was  lowered  at  half-mast  as  the  funeral 
procession  passed  along  to  the  grave. 

She  sleeps  in  the  valley — the  beautiful  valley — of 
Nynee  Tal,  near  the  grave  of  the  sainted  Mrs.  Tho- 
burn,  whose  dust  also  hallows  the  soil:  a  spot  she 
loved  to  visit,  and  where  she  often  said,  while  liv- 
ing, she  would  like  to  be  buried  if  she  ever  died  in 
India. 

The  tidings  of  her  death  brought  sadness  to  the 
hearts  of  all  the  friends  of  the  mission,  both  in  In- 
dia and  America ;  and  the  blow  fell  with  crushing 
weight  upon  her  devoted  husband  and  parents.  In 
a  private  letter  written  by  her  father  to  us,  he  says  : 
"  No  words  can  express  the  anguish  we  feel  in  the 
thought  that  we  shall  see  the  face  of  our  dear,  dear 
Lucilla  no  more.     She  had  been  in  India  so  long, 


244     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

and  had  enjoyed  such  uniformly  good  health,  that 
we  had  begun  to  look  forward  to  a  happy  reunion 
with  her  at  no  very  distant  day.  But,  alas !  how 
precarious  are  all  human  hopes !  In  a  moment  all 
our  cherished  anticipations  are  swallowed  up  and 
lost  in  the  deepest  and  most  poignant  sorrow.  O, 
what  an  inexpressible  satisfaction  it  would  have 
been  to  have  looked  once  more  into  that  calm, 
quiet,  loving  face,  and  imprinted  one  more  warm 
kiss  upon  that  fair  cheek  glowing  with  life  and 
health  ;  yea,  could  we  even  have  been  permitted  to 
look  upon  her  dear  form,  though  cold  in  death,  and 
imprint  a  kiss  upon  her  icy  forehead — followed  her 
to  her  burial — planted  with  our  own  hands  some 
flowers,  and  watered  them  with  our  tears — it  would 
have  been  a  privilege — a  mournful  one,  indeed — 
and  yet  a  privilege  not  to  be  forgotten.  But  our 
heavenly  Father  has  ordered  that  it  should  be  oth- 
erwise, and  we  can  only  bow  in  silent,  unmurmuring 
submission  to  his  mysterious  behests,  and  exclaim, 
*  How  unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways 
past  finding  out.'" 

Miss  Isabel  Hart,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Baltimore  Branch,  says  :  "  Why  a  life  so  grounded 
on  the  truest  principles,  inspired  by  the  noblest  am- 
bition, devoted  to  the  holiest  purpose,  so  full  of 
love,  of  hope,  of  joy,  of  work,  should,  in  its  very 
spring-time,  be  taken,  we  cannot  fathom.  With 
bowed  heads  and  stricken  hearts,  we  can  only  rev- 
erently admire  its  beauty  and  earnestly  ponder  its 
lessons.  Only  we  dare  not  call  such  a  life  loss,  but 
rather  highest  gain  and  glory  to  the  parents  who 


Lucilla  H.  Great,  M.D.  245 

gave  it  birth,  to  the  love  and  friends  with  which  it 
is  in  association,  to  the  work  that  consecrated  it ; 
while  for  its  own  culmination  and  consummation 
and  coronation  we  must  look  beyond  the  vale." 

The  India  Conference,  at  its  session  held  January 
14,  1879,  unanimously  adopted  the  following  beau- 
tiful, appreciative,  and  deserved  memorial  tribute : 

"  The  beautiful  life  which  found  its  earthly  close 
in  Nynee  Tal,  on  the  30th  of  September  last,  still 
speaketh  to  us  of  better  things,  and  leads  us  on- 
ward to  yet  higher  attainments.  In  full  and  con- 
stantly increasing  usefulness  she  went  in  and  out 
among  us,  totally  unconscious  of  the  call  which  she 
was  so  soon  to  obey. 

"  Suddenly  she  was  not,  for  God  had  taken  her — 
taken  her  from  a  wide  sphere  of  usefulness,  for 
which  she  seemed  to  have  every  endowment  of  na- 
ture and  of  grace  ;  and  we  can  think  of  her  now 
only  as  increasingly  useful  in  the  unknown  and 
higher  work  to  which  God  has  translated  her.  Her 
complete  consecration  to  him  bore  early  fruit. 
Probation  ended,  she  was  taken  to  a  higher  place 
in  the  eternal  activities  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

"  We  pay  this  loving  tribute  to  her  memory,  and 
with  those  on  whom  this  bereavement  falls  with 
heaviest  weight,  we  look  up  and  away  to  the  ever- 
lasting hills  of  peace." 

Also,  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society  of  the 
North  India  Conference  adopted  the  following  res- 
olutions : 

'^Whereas,  During  the  past  year  death  has  en- 
tered our  midst,  and  our  circle  has  been  broken  by 


246     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

the  removal  of  Mrs.  Cheney  from  among  us ;  there- 
fore, 

^^ Resolved^  That  we  recognize  in  this  our  grief  and 
loss  the  hand  of  an  all-wise,  unerring,  and  loving 
Father,  whose  right  it  is  to  do  with  his  own  as  he 
knoweth  to  be  best. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  recognize  in  Lucilla  Green 
Cheney's  beautiful  life  and  character,  as  also  in  her 
acquirements,  both  professional  and  otherwise,  em- 
inent fitness  for  the  work  of  a  missionary,  in  any 
of  its  varied  departments  ;  and  that,  while  we  know 
her  loss  cannot  easily  be  repaired,  nor  her  place  in 
our  hearts  and  in  the  hearts  of  those  among  whom 
she  labored  be  taken  by  another,  we  feel  to  pray 
more  earnestly  than  ever,  that  God  will  raise  up 
others  to  aid  in  this  great  work,  and  enable  us,  who 
are  already  engaged  in  it,  to  labor  with  renewed 
consecration  and  faithfulness. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  deepest  sympa- 
thies to  the  husband,  parents,  sister,  and  numerous 
home  friends  of  our  beloved  sister,  and  that  we  as- 
sure them  of  our  continued  sympathy  and  prayers, 
in  this  our  mutual  bereavement. 

"  Fannie  J.  Sparkes, 
"  Mrs.  M.  a.  Badley, 
''  Mary  F.  Gary." 

We  give  a  few  extracts  from  a  letter  written  by 
Mrs.  Parker,  of  India,  to  the  bereaved  mother : 

"  Paori,  Gurhwal,  India,  October  ig,  1878. 
"My  Dear  Mrs.  Green:    Others   have  given 
you  the  sad  news  which  did  not  come  to  you  more 


Lucilla  H.  Green,  M.  D.  247 

suddenly  than  it  did  to  us  all  here  in  the  mission. 
You  have  heard  all  about  the  last  days  and  hours  of 
your  dear  daughter's  life,  but  I  felt  that  I  must  write 
to  tell  you  how  deeply  I  sympathize  with  you  and 
your  family  in  this  affliction.  The  news  came  to 
us  about  three  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning,  when 
Mr.  Badley  and  Mr.  M'Mahon  arrived  at  our  house 
on  their  journey  down  from  Nynee  Tal.  It  was 
very  hard  for  me  to  take  in  the  full  meaning  of  the 
terrible  words, '  Sister  Cheney  is  dead — died  of  chol- 
era, and  was  buried  last  evening.'  The  first  shock 
over,  I  thought  of  the  desolate  husband,  and  in  a 
moment  I  was  with  you  in  imagination,  and  very 
earnest  were  the  petitions  that  went  up  to  God  from 
my  heart  that  he  might  prepare  you  for  the  mes- 
sage, and  sustain  you  when  it  should  reach  you. 

"  My  thoughts  are  much  with  your  angel  daugh- 
ter. How  strange  to  think  of  her  as  being  in  the 
eternal  world !  I  do  not  think  that  I  had  ever 
thought  that  she  might  die  first.  Her  health 
seemed  so  perfect,  and  she  was  in  such  a  good  cli- 
mate, that  I  did  not  feel  anxious  about  her  physical 
condition.  Her  dear  ones  so  far  away  she  loved 
with  a  very  tender  love,  which  time  and  distance 
only  seemed  to  increase.  We  cannot  mourn  for  her. 
She  is  at  rest  with  Jesus.  Her  work,  so  well  done, 
was  quickly  finished.  '  That  life  is  long  which  an- 
swers life's  great  end.'  We  cannot  understand  it. 
It  is  all  so  strange  and  mysterious  to  us  here.  One 
so  young,  so  full  of  life  and  health,  so  ready  to 
work,  and  so  needed  in  the  work,  why  should  she 
be  called  from  the  midst  of  such  usefulness?  We 
16 


248     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

only  know  that  the  Master  called  and  bid  her  come 
to  him,  and  it  must  be  right.  She  was  greatly  loved 
by  all  who  knew  her,  and  in  the  mission  and  out  of 
it  are  many  sorrowing  hearts,  now  that  she  has  gone. 
S.ie  has  told  you  herself  of  her  happy  home,  and 
her  loved  work  in  Nynee  Tal.  She  visited  us  with 
her  husband  just  before  they  went  there.  I  am  very 
thankful  now  that  we  had  that  visit.  One  of  the 
last  things  she  said  to  me  was,  *  I  expect  to  put  in 
a  full  year's  work  in  Nynee  Tal.'  From  all  I  have 
heard  from  her,  and  from  others,  I  am  sure  the  time 
was  filled  up  with  work  for  the  Lord.  .  .  .  The 
seed  she  has  sown  will  bring  forth  fruit  to  God's 
glory.  You  have  sacrificed  much  in  giving  her  to 
this  work,  but  you  have  been  peculiarly  blessed 
in  having  such  a  daughter  to  give.  He  who  gave 
her  to  you  has  only  claimed  his  own.  You  have 
the  blessed  hope  of  a  happy  reunion  in  a  better 
world.  She  has  gone  on  before,  and  will  be  there 
to  welcome  you  and  all  her  dear  ones  when  God 
shall  call.  I  know  that  no  words  of  mine  can  com- 
fort you  in  your  affliction,  for  human  words  are  of 
little  worth  under  such  circumstances ;  but  my  heart 
prompts  me  to  write  and  tell  you  that  we  sympa- 
thize with  you,  and  weep  with  you,  and  pray  for 
you.  Mr.  Parker  is  writing  to  your  husband. 
"  Yours,  with  much  love  and  sympathy, 

"Lois  S.  Parker." 

Of  her  natural  gifts,  her  quickness  and  clearness 
of  apprehension  and  grasp  of  mind,  we  have  already 
spoken.    Her  memory  was  remarkable,  and  the  accu- 


Lucilla  H.  Green,  M.  D.  24g 

racy  with  which  she  could  commit  almost  any  thing 
she  chose  seemed  incredible.  Referring  to  this,  her 
father  said  :  "  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  to  hear  of 
the  readiness  and  ease  with  which  she  acquired  the 
Hindustani,  and  her  knowledge  of  the  common  lan- 
guage of  the  people." 

She  had  also  a  habit  of  close,  keen  observation,  and 
a  quick,  intuitive  insight  into  the  minds  and  feelings 
of  others.  This,  with  her  characteristic  coolness 
and  maturity  of  judgment,  enabled  her  always  to 
be  ready  for  any  emergency. 

With  regard  to  her  religious  character,  we  will 
speak  only  of  a  few  of  its  most  salient  points.  From 
a  child  her  conscientiousness  was  a  marked  feature, 
as  seen  in  those  frequent  manifestations  of  peniten- 
tial feeling  already  referred  to.  What  she  regarded 
as  wTong  she  would  most  scrupulously  and  resolute- 
ly refrain  from  ;  while  no  duty,  however  formidable, 
or  distasteful  to  flesh  and  blood,  could  cause  her  to 
falter  in  her  fidelity  to  the  task  put  upon  her. 
Then  her  unfeigned,  undisguised  charity  and  good- 
ness of  heart  seemed  to  flow  out  spontaneously 
toward  all.  Nor  could  any  provocation  she  might 
suffer  from  others  dampen  it.  She  seemed  to  be 
incapable  of  cherishing  any  feeling  of  resentment 
or  vindictiveness.  If  any  one,  through  any  misun- 
derstanding, became  cold  or  alienated  in  their  feel- 
ings toward  her,  she  would  proceed  to  treat  them 
with  a  more  studied  attention  and  kindness  than 
ever,  and  would  eventually  make  them  her  warm- 
est friends.  The  thirteenth  chapter  of  First  Co- 
rinthians was,  of  all  the  chapters  of  the  Bible,  espe- 


250     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

ciallydear  to  her.  It  was  her  custom  to  read  it  over 
and  over,  making  it  a  test  chapter,  carefully  meas- 
uring her  life  and  spirit  by  its  teachings.  "  And," 
says  her  father,  "  I  think  all  who  knew  her  best 
will  bear  witness  to  this  truth,  when  I  say  that 
there  was  not  a  single  virtue  or  grace  mentioned  in 
the  fourth,  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh  verses  of  that 
chapter  which  was  not  strikingly  exemplified  in  her 
daily  life.  Her  refined  tenderness  of  spirit  often 
manifested  itself  in  little  things.  On  one  occasion, 
after  church,  a  poor  girl  of  weak  mind,  and  not  well 
instructed  in  the  proprieties  of  life,  took  the  liberty 
to  rush  up  to  her  and  kiss  her,  as  well  as  some  lady 
strangers  who  were  visiting  her.  On  returning  to 
her  home  some  of  the  ladies  seemed  disposed  to 
make  sport  of  the  poor  girl's  awkwardness  and  ig- 
norance ;  but  she,  with  that  calm,  thoughtful,  sub- 
dued look  which  was  so  peculiar  to  her,  said, 
"  Mother,  I  was  thinking  of  that  text  of  Scripture, 
*  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ? 

This  tenderness  toward  others  did  not  forsake  her 
even  amid  the  intense  suffering  of  her  last  hours. 
Through  the  terrible  cramps  and  convulsions  pecul- 
iar to  the  cholera,  she  retained  her  mental  powers 
unimpaired,  and  showed  a  meekness  and  patience 
in  suffering  that  was  the  wonder  of  all  around  her, 
speaking  only  in  tones  of  the  sweetest  subdued  ten- 
derness to  all  whom  she  addressed. 

Another  of  her  prominent  characteristics  was 
her  strong,  implicit,  unquestioning  faith  in  God  and 
his  overruling  providence.  This  was,  we  think,  the 
foundation  of  that  uniform   cheerfulness  and  pa- 


Lucilla  H.  Green,  M.D.  251 

tience  of  temperament  which  seemed  to  possess 
her  under  all  circumstances,  even  in  the  most  try- 
ing ordeals  of  her  life. 

Every  dark  cloud  that  came  over  her  sky  her 
faith  seemed  to  illumine  with  bright  and  cheering 
light.  This  feature  of  her  religious  character  was 
also  evinced  at  the  time  she  sailed  for  India.  On 
the  night  previous  to  her  departure,  when  alone 
with  her  mother  and  sister  in  their  room  in  New 
York,  she  said  to  her  mother,  "  Why,  mother,  I  am 
as  glad  as  I  can  be  that  I  am  going  to  India."  And 
then,  opening  a  book  of  poems,  she  read  to  her  in 
a  most  touching  and  beautiful  manner  the  following 
lines,  entitled : 

God  Knoweth. 

"  I  know  not  what  will  befall  me, 

God  hangs  a  mist  o'er  my  eyes  ; 
And  o'er  each  step  of  my  onward  path 

He  makes  new  scenes  to  rise  : 
And  every  joy  he  sends  me  comes 

As  a  sweet  and  glad  surprise. 

"  I  see  not  a  step  before  me, 

As  I  tread  the  days  of  the  year  ; 
But  the  past  is  still  in  God's  keeping 

The  future  his  mercy  shall  clear  ; 
And  what  looks  dark  in  the  distance 

May  brighten  as  I  draw  near. 

*'  For  perhaps  the  dreaded  future 
Has  less  bitterness  than  I  think  ; 

The  Lord  may  sweeten  the  water 
Before  I  stoop  to  drink  ; 

Or,  if  Marah  must  be  Marah, 
He  will  stand  beside  its  brink. 


252     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"  It  may  be  there  is  waiting, 
For  the  coming  of  my  feet, 
Some  gift  of  such  rare  blessedness, 

Some  joy  so  strangely  sweet, 
That  my  lips  can  only  tremble 
With  the  thanks  I  cannot  speak. 

*  O  restful,  blissful  ignorance  !  . 

'Tis  blessed  not  to  know  ; 
It  keeps  me  quiet  in  those  arms 

Which  will  not  let  me  go  ; 
And  hushes  my  soul  to  rest 

On  the  bosom  which  loves  me  so, 

"  So  I  go  on,  not  knowing, 

I  would  not  if  I  might  ; 
I  would  rather  walk  out  in  the  dark  with  God, 

Than  go  alone  in  the  light  ; 
I  would  rather  walk  with  him  by  faith. 

Than  walk  alone  by  sight. 

"  My  heart  shrinks  back  from  trials 

Which  the  future  may  disclose  ; 
Yet  I  never  had  a  sorrow 

But  what  the  dear  Lord  chose  ; 
So  I  send  the  coming  tears  back 

With  the  whispered  word,  '  He  knows  !'  " 

We  do  not  wonder  that  she  selected  it,  for  it 
expresses  so  exactly  the  cheerful,  submissive  charac- 
ter of  her  faith,  that  it  seems  as  if  written  almost 
expressly  for  her  ;  and  it  was  peculiarly  adapted  to 
express  what  were  then  her  feelings  with  regard  to 
that  unknown,  adventurous  future  upon  which  she 
was  about  to  enter.  How  solemnly  prophetic  they 
seem  now! 

The  next  morning,  in  parting  with  her  friends, 
she  maintained  the  same  calmness  and  serenity  of 
spirit.     A  few  hours  after  she  sailed  she  sent  back  a 


Lucilla  H.  Green,  M.D,  253 

note  to  her  parents,  with  the  pilot  boat,  concluding 
as  follows : 

"  Now,  dear  ones,  do  not  grieve  after  me  at  all. 
I  am  perfectly  happy,  for  I  am  sure  God  will  take 
care  of  me,  and  you  too." 

God  did  take  care  of  her.  He  was  with  her  dur- 
ing the  voyage,  with  her  in  all  her  days  of  labor  for 
him  in  India,  and  in  the  valley  and  shadow  of  death 
she  feared  no  evil,  for  God  was  with  her  there. 
Mysterious  as  this  dispensation  of  Providence  may 
seem  to  us,  we  will  not  murmur  that  she  is  early 
crowned,  that  she  has  gained  the  bliss  of  heaven  a 
little  sooner  than  we  expected.  She  has  ceased 
from  her  labors,  and  her  works  do  follow  her  ;  and, 
sounding  back  from  the  portals  of  her  tomb,  we  hear 
the  voice  of  Jesus  saying,  "  Father,  I  will  that  they 
also,  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where 
I  am  ;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory." 


254    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


NETTIE  C.  OGDEN. 

THIS  lady  is  a  native  of  Springfield,  Ohio,  and 
was  born  April  i,  1837.  Her  father  was  an 
English  gentleman  of  wealth  and  refinement.  Be- 
fore coming  to  America  he  was  licensed  to  exhort  by 
the  Wesleyan  Methodists  of  his  native  country'.  His 
library  was  well  stocked  with  choice  literature  and 
theological  works,  to  which  our  young  missionary, 
from  her  earliest  recollection,  had  free  access.  Her 
mother  was  from  Maryland,  and  was  a  devoted 
Christian  lady.  She  consecrated  all  her  children  to 
the  Lord  in  their  infancy,  and  sought  to  train  them 
for  lives  of  usefulness.  With  regard  to  her  religious 
experience  Miss  Ogden  says  : 

"  I  cannot  recall  any  time  when  I  did  not  feel 
desirous  of  pleasing  God,  but  in  my  eighth  year  I 
first  expressed  a  desire  to  unite  with  the  Church. 
At  that  time  Rev.  R.  S.  Foster,  now  Bishop,  was 
our  pastor.  To  him  my  mother  expressed  her  fears 
that  I  was  too  young.  In  passing  through  the  room 
I  caught  enough  of  the  conversation  to  understand 
that  I  was  the  subject  of  it,  and  to  hear  the  pastor's 
reply  that  it  might  not  be  safe  to  oppose  me,  as  1 
might  never  again  have  the  same  desire,  and  might 
afterward  reproach  her.  The  tempter  whispered, 
*  That  is  just  the  thing  for  you  to  do  ;  give  it  up, 
and  lay  all  the  responsibility  of  your  salvation  upon 


Nettie  C.  Ogden.  255 

your  mother.'  But  instantly  God's  Spirit  was  with 
me,  showing  me  that  by  so  doing  I  would  injure  no 
one  so  much  as  myself.  I  never  more  clearly"  de- 
tected temptation  than  at  that  moment,  and  I  turned 
upon  the  adversary,  bidding  him  depart,  at  the  same 
time  promising  the  Lord  that  I  would  unite  with 
his  people  as  soon  as  I  should  be  old  enough.  In 
my  tenth  year  I  was  blessed  with  a  sweet  sense  of 
God's  presence  in  my  heart,  and  was  permitted  to 
unite  with  the  Church. 

"  Two  years  after,  while  reading  a  memoir  of  a 
beautifully  consecrated  life,  God  touched  my  heart, 
causing  to  spring  up  a  most  earnest  desire  for  a  like 
consecration.  I  was  enabled  to  offer  myself  fully — 
body,  soul,  life  and  all  its  energies — to  the  Master's 
service.  O,  what  a  blessed  baptism  of  love  and  light 
and  power  rested  upon  me  !  I  knew  God  accepted 
me,  but  could  not  see  how  or  where  I  should  be 
called  to  labor.  But  I  resolved  to  improve  well  my 
opportunities,  and  fit  myself  for  work  when  it  should 
be  given. 

"  Thus  I  passed  my  school-days,  sheltered  from 
evil  and  nurtured  in  a  Christian  home-circle,  edu- 
cated with  a  private  governess,  our  home  being  just 
out  of  the  city,  I  enjoyed  the  most  blessed  privi- 
leges." But  "  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasten- 
eth ;"  and  there  were  days  of  trial  in  reserve  for 
Miss  Ogden. 

Her  father  died,  and  with  his  death  came  finan- 
cial reverses.  Friends  fondly  cherished  disappeared 
amid  the  mists  of  misfortune.  But  the  Friend  that 
sticketh  closer  than  a  brother  revealed  himself  in  all 


256    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

his  glory  and  loveliness,  and,  joyful  in  tribulation, 
she  was  enabled  to  sing : 

"  The  dearest  idol  I  have  known, 
Whate'er  that  idol  be, 
Help  me  to  tear  it  from  thy  throne, 
And  worship  only  thee." 

She  now  began  to  have  a  great  desire  to  labor  in 
the  cause  of  Christ.  With  the  help  of  a  neighbor 
she  organized  a  Sabbath-school  in  the  district  school- 
house  near  her  home,  where  she  taught  for  some 
years,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her  entire 
class — ten  girls — happily  converted  to  God.  When 
the  temperance  wave  swept  over  Ohio  she  enthu- 
siastically enlisted  in  the  crusade,  and  threw  the 
whole  energy  of  her  soul  into  the  work.  She  says  : 
**  The  sweetness  of  complete  and  perfect  consecra- 
tion in  active  service  in  the  Lord's  vineyard  had 
taken  such  a  firm  hold  upon  my  heart  that  I  was 
loth  to  give  it  up." 

She  was  at  this  time  serving  as  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  High-street  Auxiliary,  Springfield, 
Ohio.  Becoming  in  this  way  more  familiar  with  the 
work  and  its  needs,  she  could  not  help  regretting 
keenly  that  the  call  for  laborers  did  not  come  earlier, 
so  that  she  might  have  had  the  privilege  of  carry- 
ing the  tidings  of  salvation  to  those  who  are  afar  off. 
Expressing  herself  thus,  she  was  asked  to  offer  her- 
self as  a  candidate,  which  she  did,  Mrs.  Bishop 
Clark  presenting  her  name  to  the  General  Execu- 
tive Committee.  She  was  accepted  and  appointed 
to  Pachuca,  Mexico,  to  labor  with  Miss  Warner, 
who  was  already  in  the  field.     She  immediately  be- 


Nettie  C.  Ogden.  257 

gan  to  make  preparations  for  instruction  in  the  lan- 
guage, and  entered  the  Wesleyan  Female  College, 
of  Cincinnati,  where  she  remained  for  one  year. 
She  sailed  for  Pachuca,  Mexico,  1876.  Miss  Ogden 
was  faithful  and  efficient  in  her  missionary  work, 
and  greatly  beloved  by  the  pupils  in  her  charge. 
She  returned  to  the  United  States  in  1878,  to  rest 
and  recuperate.  Her  zeal  for  God  and  the  mission- 
ary cause  is  unabated,  and  she  is  anxiously  hoping 
for  strength  to  return  to  her  loved  work. 


258    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


MARY  F.  GARY. 

MARY  F.  GARY  is  a  native  of  Fishkill,  Dutch- 
ess County,  New  York,  and  was  born  May  12, 
1845,  Her  father,  an  affluent  and  influential  farmer, 
has  Hved  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fishkill  all  his  life. 
With  his  children  he  was  affectionate  and  indulgent ; 
and  being  himself  possessed  of  rare  intelligence,  he 
desired  to  have  them  thoroughly  educated,  and 
gave  them  superior  advantages  in  this  respect.  In 
1864  Miss  Gary  graduated  from  the  New  York 
Conference  Seminary,  at  Charlotteville,  New  York, 
after  which  she  entered  the  Musical  Institute,  at 
East  Greenwich,  Rhode  Island,  and  spent  some  time 
in  acquiring  superior  skill  in  this  art.  After  teach- 
ing music  for  a  short  time,  she  resolved  to  strive  to 
satisfy  her  thirst  for  knowledge  by  pursuing  her 
studies.  She  prepared  for  college  in  the  Genesee 
Wesleyan  Seminary,  at  Lima,  New  York,  and  en- 
tered Genesee  College  in  1868.  In  1871,  when 
Genesee  College  closed  and  Syracuse  University 
opened,  she  entered  this  institution,  and  remained 
a  member  of  it  till  she  graduated  in  the  classical 
course,  in  1874,  receiving  the  degree  of  A.  B.  In 
1877  she  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  in  course. 
After  leaving  this  institution  she  went  to  Europe 
and  spent  a  year  in  Germany  and  Switzerland  in  a 
further  acquirement  of  the  German  and  French  Ian- 


Mary  F.  Cary.  259 

guages.  Returning  to  America,  she  was  next  in- 
stalled as  teacher  of  German  and  French  in  the 
seminary  at  Amenia,  Dutchess  County,  New  York, 
which  position  she  held  until  she  left  to  prepare  for 
her  departure  to  India. 

With  regard  to  her  religious  experience  she  says : 
"  I  cannot  remember  when  I  did  not  have  religious 
impressions,  and  desires  to  become  a  Christian." 
At  the  age  of  fourteen  she  experienced  the  pardon- 
ing love  of  God,  and  united  with  the  Church  on 
probation.  The  light  which  then  dawned  upon  her 
pathway  continued  to  shine  more  and  more  unto 
the  perfect  day.  While  at  Lima  she  became  con- 
victed for  a  deeper  work  of  grace,  and  had  an  ar- 
dent desire  to  be  wholly  saved  from  the  power  and 
dominion  of  sin.  Rev.  Daniel  Steele,  D.D.,  author 
of  "  Love  Enthroned,"  writes  us  : 

"  My  first  acquaintance  with  Miss  Cary  was  while 
I  was  a  professor  in  Genesee  College,  at  Lima,  New 
York.  She  impressed  her  teachers  as  a  young  lady 
of  unusual  diffidence,  self-distrust,  and  absence  of 
self-assertion.  But  their  acquaintance  reveajed  other 
qualities,  such  as  indomitable  persistence  and  deep 
piety.  After  my  own  spiritual  enlargement,  which 
was  so  marked  that  it  could  not  be  hid  from  the 
students,  she  became  very  deeply  convinced  of  her 
need  of  entire  sanctification  as  a  definite  work  ta 
be  wrought  in  her  own  consciousness.  Her  hunger 
for  full  salvation  became  intense  and  almost  intoler- 
able. At  last,  one  Saturday,  at  Syracuse — for  Gen- 
esee College  had  by  this  time,  1871,  been  merged 


26o     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

in  the  Syracuse  University — she  came  to  me  in  the 
deepest  distress  of  mind  to  find  Jesus  a  complete 
Saviour.  I  told  her  that  I  would  excuse  her  from 
Church  the  next  day,  and  that  she  must  go  into 
her  closet  and  make  it  her  Peniel.  At  the  same 
time  I  put  into  her  hands  that  wonderful  lyric, 
Charles  Wesley's  Wrestling  Jacob,  the  unabridged 
hymn  in  fourteen  verses,  and  told  her  to  pray  that 
hymn  until  she  found  deliverance.  On  the  follow- 
ing Monday  or  Tuesday  she  came  to  me  with  her 
face  radiant  with  a  new,  an  unwonted  joy,  or  rather 
heavenly  glory.  Her  closet  had  been  to  her  the 
bank  of  the  Jabbok  indeed.  She  had  the  clear  as- 
surance of  full  salvation.  Every  one  observed  a 
marvelous  transfiguration  in  her  character  and  life. 
1  was  not  surprised  when  the  intelligence  reached 
me  that  she  had  received  an  appointment  to  foreign 
work  in  India.  It  may  be  an  item  of  interest  to 
some  to  know  that  she  was  at  Lima  a  room-mate 
of  Mrs.  John  T.  M'Mahon,  who  preceded  her  to 
India,  and  is  now  doing  excellent  service  at  Roy 
Bareilly.  Long  may  they  live  to  prove  to  the  hea- 
then, by  lip  and  life,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  able  to 
save  unto  the  uttermost  them  that  come  unto  God 
by  him. 

"  Yours  with  the  Abiding  Comforter, 

"Daniel  Steele." 

Miss  Kate  Hogoboom,  who  was  in  the  same  in- 
stitution, says :  "  I  remember  distinctly  of  calling 
upon  her  one  afternoon  and  listening  to  her  glow- 
ing account  of  the  great  joy  and  peace  she  had  re- 


Mary  F.  Cary.  261 

cently  obtained  as  a  result  of  an  entire  consecration 
to  Christ.  It  was  certainly  a  real  work  with  her,  as 
it  changed  her  conversation  and  aims  so  completely ; 
and  it  was  the  development  of  this  spirit,  I  believe, 
which  led  her  to  sacrifice  home-happiness  and  friend- 
ships for  the  cause  of  Christ  in  other  lands.  The 
characteristic  by  which  she  was  distinguished  among 
her  friends  in  college  was  persistence.  She  was  al- 
ways gentle  and  unobtrusive,  but  firm  and  persever- 
ing in  what  she  considered  right." 

Miss  Rena  Michaels,  of  Utica,  who  was  also  an 
intimate  friend,  says :  "  From  early  childhood  Miss 
Cary  had  cherished  a  desire  to  become  a  missionary. 
Every  thing  pertaining  to  missionary  work  or  life 
was  of  deep  interest  to  her.  *  It  is  such  a  glorious 
work,'  she  would  say,  *  to  lead  immortal  souls  out 
of  darkness  into  the  perfect  light.'  She  was  corre- 
sponding with  a  lady  then  engaged  in  missionary 
work  in  India.  Often  she  would  read  these  letters 
to  me — letters  full  of  a  sweet,  spiritual  radiance, 
which  only  those  hearts  can  emit  that  live  perpetu- 
ally in  God's  sunlight.  *  If  that  is  the  work  God  has 
appointed  for  me  he  will  open  the  way,  and  give  me 
the  opportunity,'  she  would  reply  when  urged  to 
seek  the  work  in  which  all  her  desires  were  centered. 
Her  religious  feelings  and  experience  were,  like  her 
personal  address,  unostentatious,  simple.  Her  relig- 
ion was  just  as  real  and  vital  as  the  air  she  breathed. 
It  flowed  out  in  benevolence  and  good-will  to  all 
around  her.  But  yesterday  I  passed  the  rude  cot- 
tage where,  five  years  ago,  a  poor  German  woman 
lived,  a  widow,  whose  children  Miss  Cary  clothed 


262     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

from  her  own  purse  and  wardrobe  during  her  last 
year  at  the  University.  The  house  is  unoccupied ; 
the  widow  has  gone ;  but  wherever  she  may  be, 
she  will  remember  and  tell  many  pleasant  things  of 
*  meine  gute  Fraulein  Gary.'  " 

Her  way  to  India  was  opened  in  this  manner: 
Mrs.  E.  B.  Stevens,  of  Wilmington,  Delaware,  one 
of  the  purest  of  the  pure  in  heart,  and  a  most  effi- 
cient worker  in  the  home  field,  was  out  on  a  thre.e 
weeks'  missionary  tour,  addressing  public  meetings, 
and  trying  to  awaken  greater  interest  in  the  cause. 
The  Society  was  in  need  of  re-enforcements,  and 
Mrs.  Stevens  prayed  earnestly  that  God  would  aid 
her  in  finding  a  missionary,  and  the  assurance  was 
given  that  her  prayer  should  be  answered.  Every- 
where, in  public  and  in  private,  the  need  was  stated, 
but  no  response  came  until  after  the  close  of  nearly 
the  last  meeting,  when  Mrs.  Stevens  felt  impressed 
that  she  had  now  reached  the  place  where  she  should 
hear  of  her  missionary.  So  sure  was  she  that  she 
should  get  tidings  of  her,  that,  after  presenting  the 
case  and  meeting  with  no  response,  she  was  sorely 
disappointed.  "  But,"  she  writes,  "noticing  that  my 
hostess  was  not  present,  I  sent  to  her  and  told  her 
what  I  wanted.  She  replied,  '  The  very  person  for 
you,  if  you  can  get  her,  is  Mary  F.  Gary,  Peekskill, 
Dutchess  Gounty,  New  York.'  I  took  her  address, 
and  went  on  my  way,  praising  God.  As  soon  as  I 
reached  home  I  wrote  to  her.  Her  reply  was  to 
this  effect :  '  How  strange !  the  only  person  living, 
so  far  as  I  am  aware,  that  knows  I  have  any  draw- 
ing to  missionary  work  is  my  father.     I  once  asked 


Mary  F.  Cary.  363 

for  his  consent,  and  he  withheld  it ;  I  will  speak  to 
him  again,  and  let  you  know  the  result.'  In  the  next 
letter,  she  wrote :  '  Father  says,  this  is  so  evidently 
of  the  Lord  that  he  dare  not  stand  in  my  way.  I 
am  ready  to  go  if  needed.'  " 

Miss  Cary  went  out  as  a  representative  of  the 
Philadelphia  Branch.  She  sailed  for  India,  Sep- 
tember, 1876,  She  reached  her  destination  safely, 
and  entered  at  once  upon  missionary  work  in  Ba- 
reilly,  assisting  Miss  Sparkes  in  the  care  of  the  Girls* 
Orphanage.  Shortly  after,  Miss  Sparkes  returned 
to  America,  and  Miss  Cary  was  appointed  superin- 
tendent in  her  absence.  Her  duties  during  the  year 
following  were  most  arduous.  Disease  entered  the 
Orphanage ;  first,  small-pox,  then  malignant  dysen- 
tery, and,  last  of  all,  cholera  came,  and  before  the 
year  closed  sixty-seven  had  died.  Many  of  them 
being  in  a  starved  and  wretched  condition  when 
they  entered  the  institution,  the  result  of  the  pre- 
ceding famine,  they  had  not  sufficient  vitality  re- 
maining to  repel  disease,  and  fell  ready  victims  to 
the  destroyer.  The  year  closed,  leaving  its  record 
as  one  of  the  saddest  in  all  the  history  of  the  Or- 
phanage. This  was  a  terrible  strain  on  Miss  Cary's 
mental  and  nervous  system  ;  but  she  was  unceasing 
in  her  devotion  to  the  sufferers,  and  faithfully  per- 
formed her  duty.  During  all  her  missionary  labors 
in  India  she  has  manifested  the  same  spirit  of  con- 
secration to  the  one  object,  namely,  the  salvation  of 
the  heathen. 
17 


264    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


OLIVE  WHITING. 

OLIVE  WHITING  was  born  in  Jasper,  Steu- 
ben County,  New  York.  Her  parents  were 
New  England  Presbyterians,  and  came — her  father 
from  New  Hampshire  and  her  mother  from  Ver- 
mont— to  New  York  State  when  the  wolves  still 
howled  around  the  settler's  cabin,  and  bears  and 
deer  were  often  among  the  game  brought  down  by 
the  hunter's  rifle.  They  built  their  little  log-cabin 
in  the  wilds  of  North-western  New  York,  and  in 
that  same  home  Olive,  with  her  five  brothers  and  a 
sister,  was  born.  She  says :  "  My  early  life  was 
spent  in  such  an  ordinary  way,  that,  though  I  may 
search  never  so  untiringly  over  the  green  hills,  and 
through  the  valleys  and  forests,  and  by  the  dear  old 
streams  of  my  Jasper  home,  I  could  find  nothing 
that  I  might  not  share  in  common  with  all  the  other 
farmers'  girls,  my  playmates." 

Her  first  religious  impressions  were  received  so 
early  as  to  be  beyond  her  memory.  She  was  always 
religiously  inclined,  and  grew  into  favor  with  God 
so  gradually  that  she  never  knew  the  exact  moment 
of  her  conversion.  Referring  to  it,  she  says :  '*  There 
was  never  any  sudden  and  wonderful  change.  It 
was  rather  a  growth  thereunto.  Not  always  con- 
stant and  steady  and  sure,  as  it  should  and  would 
have  been  had  He  who  nourishes  our  religious  life 


Olive  Whiting.  265 

been  left  uninterrupted  in  his  gracious  ministry. 
But  I  do  know  that  Christ  is  my  Saviour,  and  that 
he  answers  my  prayers." 

Miss  Whiting  was  fond  of  study,  and,  after  edu- 
cating herself  to  the  best  of  her  ability  in  the  com- 
mon school,  and  in  an  academy  in  a  neighboring 
town,  she  commenced  teaching  school.  Afterward 
she  went  to  Lima,  and  entered  the  Genesee  Wes- 
leyan  Seminary,  from  which  she  graduated  in  1872. 
After  leaving  the  seminary  she  engaged  again  in 
teaching,  until  her  departure  for  Japan. 

While  casting  about  to  ascertain  what  she  should 
do,  and  how  she  should  spend  her  life  to  make  it 
productive  of  the  greatest  good,  the  question  was 
suggested,  "  Why  not  be  a  missionary?  "  She  did 
not  try  to  banish  the  thought,  but  cherished  it.  As 
she  prayerfully  considered  the  matter,  she  thought, 
*'  My  parents  are  in  heaven  ;  my  dear  sister  is  dead  ; 
my  brothers  are  married  ;  God  and  his  cause  only 
have  claims  upon  me.  I  will  offer  myself  to  the  So- 
ciety for  service."  She  did  so.  She  says :  "  From 
that  time  until  my  appointment  was  definitely  made 
I  left  nothing  undone  that  I  could  do  to  secure  it, 
having  resolved  that  no  effort  on  my  part  should  be 
lacking ;  and,  should  I  fail  to  receive  the  appoint- 
ment, I  might  reasonably  conclude  that  I  was  not 
intended  for  that  work." 

She  was  accepted  by  the  Society,  and  in  May, 
1876,  was  appointed  to  Tsukiji,  Tokio,  Japan,  and 
shoitly  after  sailed  for  her  new  field  of  labor. 

When  almost  across  the  Pacific  a  terrible  storm, 
a  typhoon   in  fact,  raged    for  a  day  and  a  night, 


266     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

threatening  death  and  destruction  to  ship  and  pas- 
sengers. 

November  8,  1876,  Miss  Schoonmaker  wrote: 
"  Miss  Whiting  is  here.  Yes,  she  is  here,  and  she 
is  all  I  could  desire  in  the  way  of  a  true,  congenial 
companion,  friend,  and  fellow-helper.  I  cannot 
thank  God  enough  for  his  great  goodness  to  me  in 
this  respect.  We  are  admirably  adapted  to  each 
other  in  tastes  and  habits,  and  are  taking  real  com- 
fort in  working  together.  Doubtless  you  will  have 
heard,  ere  receiving  this,  of  the  terrible  storm  which 
came  in  as  a  part  of  her  experience  in  coming  hith- 
er. She  came  very  near  finding  a  watery  grave. 
It  is  fearful  to  hear  her  accounts  of  the  horrors  of 
that  one  night — when  it  seemed  as  if  every  hour 
might  be  her  last.  The  sea,  beating  into  her  state- 
room, swept  away  her  waterproof  cloak,  her  Bible, 
and  many  other  prized  possessions.  She  lost  about 
a  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  clothing,  but  was  so 
thankful  to  escape  with  her  life  that  she  has  never 
uttered  a  word  of  complaint,  but  endures  the  loss 
very  cheerfully." 

Miss  Spencer  also  writes :  "  Miss  Whiting  is  tall 
and  fair,  with  hazel  eyes,  and  an  abundance  of  wavy 
golden  hair.  She  came  to  Miss  Schoonmaker's  as- 
sistance in  the  summer  of  1876.  She  is  a  grand 
worker,  but  is  not  very  strong,  having  had  a  severe 
attack  of  illness  about  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  the  re- 
sult of  overwork  and  severe  study.  She  has  pro- 
gressed finely  with  the  language,  however,  and  will 
be  a  worthy  successor  to  Miss  Schoonmaker  when 
she  retires  from  the  field.     Miss  Whiting  is  super- 


Olive  Whiting.  267 

intendent  of  our  culinary  department,  and   is  an 
excellent  manager," 

The  highest  testimonials  from  missionaries  on 
the  field,  together  with  written  reports  of  her  v/ork, 
assure  us  that  God  has  indeed  chosen,  and  peculiarly 
qualified,  her  to  aid  in  the  great  work  of  evangel- 
izing and  elevating  the  women  of  Japan. 


268     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


EIGHTH  ANNUAL  MEETING. 

THE  General  Executive  Committee  held  its 
eighth  session  in  the  Centenary  Church,  Min- 
neapolis, Minnesota,  May  lo,  1877.  Mrs.  L.  E. 
Prescott,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Western 
Branch,  opened  the  meeting.  Mrs.  Dr.  Goodrich, 
of  Minneapolis,  was  elected  President,  and  Mrs.  D. 
L.  Williams,  of  Delaware,  Ohio,  Secretary.  The 
Corresponding  Secretaries  were  all  present,  and  re- 
sponded, with  their  respective  Branch  Delegates,  to 
the  calling  of  the  roll. 

The  meeting  was  characterized  by  deep  religious 
feeling,  and  was  largely  attended  by  ladies  and  cler- 
gymen from  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  Winona,  and  ad- 
jacent towns.  The  reports  were  very  encouraging. 
The  results  in  foreign  fields  were  thus  estimated  : 

"  We  have  sent  missionaries  to  all  the  countries 
occupied  by  the  parent  Board,  except  Europe  and 
Africa,  and  at  one  station  in  each  of  these,  Bulgaria 
and  Bexley,  we  are  employing  native  Bible-women. 
There  have  been  sent  to  foreign  fields  thirty  young 
ladies  as  missionaries.  Seven  of  these  have  left  our 
work  ;  four  to  remain  in  the  same  calling  as  wives  of 
missionaries,  and  one  to  take  professional  employ- 
ment under  the  government  in  India,  we  trust  still 
to  be  a  teacher  of  the  Gospel.  Five  ladies  have  re- 
turned on  furlough.     Those  remaining  in  the  field 


Eighth  Annual  Meeting.  269 

are  working  with  rare  efficiency  and  success.  We 
have  introduced  medical  work  into  Asia  through 
five  of  our  ladies.  Under  their  direction  one  dis- 
pensary and  three  hospitals  have  been  built.  Be- 
sides the  Orphanages  already  established,  one  in 
Paori,  one  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  six  buildings 
for  homes  and  boarding-schools,  have  been  erected 
in  the  different  stations  occupied.  We  have  sup- 
ported the  work  carried  on  by  the  wives  of  mission- 
aries, besides  employing  one  hundred  and  forty  Bi- 
ble-women, native  teachers,  and  other  helpers,  and 
are  sustaining  one  hundred  and  thirty  day-schools." 

The  following  returned  missionaries  were  pres- 
ent, and  contributed  much  to  the  interest  of  the 
occasion  :  Rev.  and  Mrs.  L.  R.  Hoskins,  of  Budaon  ; 
Miss  Fannie  J.  Sparkes,  of  Bareilly,  India ;  and 
Miss  Mary  Q.  Porter,  of  Peking,  China. 

The  anniversary  was  held  in  Centenary  Church, 
Rev.  Daniel  Cobb,  the  pastor,  presiding.  Devo- 
tional exercises  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Hos- 
kins, ol  India,  and,  after  reading  the  secretary's  re- 
port, by  Mrs.  Williams,  addresses  were  made  by 
Revs.  Cobb  and  Hoskins,  Mrs.  Ninde,  and  Misses 
Porter  and  Sparkes. 

"  An  interesting  feature  of  the  anniversary  was 
the  reading  of  a  note  from  a  native  African  woman, 
as  the  result  of  a  sermon  preached  by  Bishop  Ha- 
ven, in  Monrovia,  Liberia,  and  sent  by  Rev.  J.  T. 
Gracey  to  Miss  Isabel  Hart,  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary of  the  Baltimore  Branch,  which  has  hitherto 
maintained  our  sole  African  interest." 

The  note  was  as  follows :  "  I  inclose  these  three 


2/0     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

finger-rings ;  they  are  dear  to  me  as  keepsakes ;  but 
wont  you  please  take  them  away  with  you,  sell  them, 
and  give  the  proceeds  somewhere  for  missionary 
purposes?  I  could  not  bear  to  see  them  w^orn  by 
any  one  here  ;  this  makes  it  necessary  to  ask  of  you 
this  favor.  May  God  bless  you  ! "  The  rings  were 
well  worn ;  inside  of  one  was  a  casement  for  hair, 
showing  it  to  be  a  token  of  some  loved  one.  One 
hundred  and  two  dollars  were  raised  on  these  rings, 
to  constitute  the  unknown  donor  an  honorary  man- 
ager in  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

In  appropriating  the  work  for  the  coming  year, 
the  Executive  Committee  decided  to  purchase  the 
Cawnpore  property,  and  make  of  it  a  Normal  School 
for  Eurasian  young  ladies,  thus  enabling  them  to 
become  trained  and  efficient  helpers  for  the  mission 
fields  now  so  grandly  opening  in  the  Orient :  they 
took  more  work  in  Africa :  and  made  a  noble  begin- 
ning in  Rome  and  Venice.  One  new  medical  mis- 
sionary, Leonora  S.  Howard,  M.  D.,  was  appointed 
to  Peking,  China. 

The  Committee  adjourned  after  a  session  of  eleven 
days.  The  farewell  prayer  was  offered  by  Mrs. 
Skidmore,  and  Mrs.  Keen  bade  good-bye  in  God's 
name. 


Leonora  S.  Howard,  M.D.  271 


LEONORA   S.  HOWARD,  M.D. 

THE  ladies  of  the  North-western  Branch  are 
justly  proud  of  the  name  of  Leonora  S.  How- 
ard, M.D.,  who  so  recently  went  out  as  their  repre- 
sentative to  Peking,  China.  This  lady  is  a  Cana- 
dian, having  been  born  and  reared  in  the  County 
of  Leeds,  Ontario.  She  was  educated  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan.  A  correspondent,  in  one  of  the  Canadian 
papers,  says :  "  By  noble  self-denial  and  persever- 
ance she  graduated  as  a  physician  in  one  of  the 
United  States'  colleges,  that  she  might  the  more 
successfully  serve  as  a  missionary  in  China." 

Miss  Howard  left  Chicago  for  Peking,  China,  on 
Friday,  March  23,  1877.  On  the  previous  evening 
a  "  farewell  meeting"  was  held  in  Langley  Avenue 
Church.  Her  remarks  were  simple  and  direct,  and 
those  present  carried  away  the  impression  that  in 
her  they  were  sending  out  one  of  our  very  best  and 
strongest  missionaries;  and  they  were  not  mistaken. 
Rev.  Dr.  Parkhurst  also  gave  an  interesting  ad- 
dress. A  sociable  followed,  in  which  opportunity 
was  given  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Dr.  Howard, 
and  Dr.  Letitia  Mason  Quinn,  our  returned  China 
missionary. 

The  next  afternoon  the  ladies  of  Michigan  Ave- 
nue Church  came  together  to  meet  Dr.  Howard, 
where  interesting  addresses  were  made  by  several 


272     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

ladies,  Dr.  Williamson,  and  others.  The  meeting 
was  most  enthusiastic.  Tears,  prayers  and  songs 
of  praise  were  mingled  in  that  hour  of  consecration 
and  Christian  fellowship. 

Miss  Howard  reached  China  in  due  time,  and  me- 
tered at  once  upon  her  work.  She  has  succeeded 
in  winning  her  way  into  the  highest  social  circles  of 
Peking,  and  by  her  professional  skill  has  unlocked 
the  social  citadel  which  for  ages  has  withstood  the 
efforts  of  foreigners  to  enter;  and  having  thus  found 
access  to  the  homes  of  those  high  in  official  position 
by  the  aid  she  could  give  the  suffering  body,  she 
may  find  access  to  the  hearts  of  the  inmates,  and  in 
them  sow  the  seeds  of  life ;  and  from  the  palace  of 
the  great,  light  may  go  down  to  the  dwellings  of  the 
poor,  and  the  missionaries*  influence  be  felt  through 
all  grades  of  society. 

The  following  Associated  Press  dispatch  appeared 
in  the  secular  papers,  under  the  heading,  "  Immense 
Practice  of  English  Physicians : " 

"Washington,  October 21,  1879. 

"  The  United  States'  Consul  at  Tientsin,  China, 
in  a  dispatch  to  the  Department  of  State,  reports 
that  two  English  physicians  have  had  remarkable 
success  in  their  practice  in  the  royal  family,  leading 
to  an  immense  practice  among  the  common  people. 

"The  viceroy  has  established  a  free  dispensary', 
and  placed  one  of  the  doctors  at  its  head.  The  ex- 
pense is  borne  by  the  viceroy.  He  has  also  noticed 
favorably  Miss  Howard,  M.D.,  an  American  lady, 
who  holds  a  high  rank  among  the  physicians  of  Pe- 


Leonora  S.  Howard,  M.D.  273 

king.  This  liberal  and  humane  course  by  the  fore- 
most man  in  the  empire  will  do  much  to  break 
down-  the  prejudices  of  the  people.  This  is  only 
one  illustration  of  the  enterprise  and  progressive 
spirit  of  the  viceroy." 

The  correspondent  of  the  "  North  China  Herald  " 
writes  :  "  After  residing,  as  physician  and  guest,  for 
a  month  at  the  viceroy's  yamen,  Miss  Howard, 
M.D.,  of  the  American  Methodist  Episcopal  Mis- 
sion, has  completed  her  present  treatment  of  Lady 
Li,  and  has  departed  on  her  return  to  Peking.  She 
bore  with  her  copious  presents  of  silks,  satins,  and 
rare  china  ware,  and  was  honored  with  the  rare  court- 
esy of  having  the  viceroy's  dispatch-boat  to  tug  her 
house-boat  as  far  on  the  way  to  Tung-chow  as  the 
water  (now  high)  will  allow.  Before  her  departure 
she  was  led  to  accept,  for  the  winter,  the  pressing 
invitation  to  join  in  the  dispensary  work  so  gener- 
ously established  and  fostered  by  the  viceroy.  She 
treats  the  female  patients,  while  Dr.  Mackenzie,  of 
the  London  Mission,  treats  the  males.  It  is  hoped 
this  may  lead  to  the  establishment  here  of  a  hos- 
pital for  women  under  her  direction,  while  one  for 
men  is  likewise  to  be  established  under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  Mackenzie." 


274    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


NINTH    ANNUAL   MEETING. 

THE  ninth  Annual  Session  of  the  General  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  was  opened  in  the  Tre- 
mont-street  Church,  Boston,  Massachusetts,  May  9, 
1878.  This  meeting  was  one  of  the  most  memo- 
rable and  interesting  in  the  history  of  our  Society. 
Mrs.  Taplin,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  New 
England  Branch,  opened  the  meeting  and  conducted 
the  devotional  exercises,  by  reading  the  Scriptures 
and  announcing  the  hymn,  "  Jesus,  lover  of  my 
soul."  Mrs.  Skidmore  led  in  prayer.  Mrs.  Warren, 
President  of  the  New  England  Branch,  extended 
to  the  delegates  and  visitors  a  most  hearty  address 
of  welcome,  to  which  Mrs.  Willing,  of  the  North- 
western Branch,  responded,  referring  to  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Society,  nine  years  before,  in  that  very 
church,  when  only  nine  ladies  were  present.  Mrs. 
B.  R.  Cowan,  sister  of  Dr.  Thoburn,  appeared  as 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch, 
in  place  of  Mrs.  Ingham,  resigned. 

A  committee  from  the  Boston  Preachers'  Meeting 
was  introduced.  They  welcomed  the  ladies  with 
words  full  of  sympathy  and  appreciation  for  the 
work  of  the  Society,  and  an  earnest  "  Godspeed  " 
was  extended  to  the  workers.  Mrs.  Skidmore  re- 
plied, thanking  the  brethren  on  behalf  of  the  ladies 
for  their  kind  words,  and  saying  that  without  the 


Ninth  Annual  Meeting.  275 

assistance  and  support  of  the  pastors  it  would  be 
impossible  successfully  to  carry  on  the  work. 

The  devotional  meetings,  held  every  afternoon, 
"were  characterized  by  great  earnestness  and  faith 
in  prayer,  broadening  outlines  of  spiritual  sight,  and 
increasing  realization  of  the  need  of  immediate,  un- 
wearied work  for  Christ's  perishing  little  ones.  The 
presence  of  an  unusual  number  of  returned  mission- 
aries, and  their  thrilling  words  of  experience  and 
hope,  were  an  inspiration  to  all." 

Provision  had  been  made  for,  and  a  partial  organ- 
ization effected  of,  the  Atlanta  Branch  early  in  the 
history  of  the  Society,  but  no  advance  was  made 
until  January,  1878,  when  a  reorganization  was  ef- 
fected, and  the  Atlanta  Branch  formally  entered  the 
ranks.  Mrs.  E.  Q.  Fuller  was  appointed  Corre- 
sponding Secretary. 

In  an  official  letter  from  Mrs.  Parker,  of  India, 
reference  was  made  to  Miss  Gorham,  as  one  of  the 
expected  missionaries  to  that  land,  and  Mrs.  Taplin 
announced  that  her  papers  had  been  received  and 
approved,  and  the  time  appointed  for  sailing,  when 
she  was  taken  ill,  and  suddenly  translated  from 
labor  to  reward.  Some  touching  incidents  were 
related  in  regard  to  her  death,  after  which,  with 
subdued  spirits,  all  united  in  singing,  "  Jesus,  lover 
of  my  soul."  The  following  resolutions  were  then 
passed : 

^'Whereas,  Miss  Frances  A.  Gorham,  under  ap- 
pointment for  Cawnpore,  India,  has  been  called  to 
her  eternal  reward  ;  therefore, 

''Resolved,  i.  That  the  General  Executive  Com- 


2^6    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

mittee  desire  to  express  their  appreciation  of  the 
beautiful  Christian  character  of  Miss  Gorham,  and 
her  eminent  qualifications  for  the  work  to  which 
she  had  consecrated  herself. 

^^  Resolved,  2.  That,  while  we  mourn  the  loss  of 
one  so  greatly  needed  in  that  land  of  darkness,  we 
recognize  in  her  removal  to  the  land  of  light  the 
hand  of  Him  who  will  provide  for  his  work  below, 
while  he  calls  his  beloved  to  the  home  above. 

^'^  Resolved,  3.  That  the  warmest  sympathy  of  this 
Committee  be  extended  to  the  friends  of  Miss  Gor- 
ham, and  to  the  circle  of  wearied  workers  in  India, 
anxiously  waiting  for  help  at  her  hand." 

Several  public  meetings  of  great  interest  were 
held  during  the  week.  On  Thursday,  May  9,  a  re- 
ception was  given  the  General  Executive  Commit- 
tee in  the  spacious  chapel  of  Tremont-street  Church. 
A  large  number  of  returned  missionaries  and  prom- 
inent home-workers  were  in  attendance,  among 
whom  were  Bishops  Haven  and  Foster.  After  some 
time  spent  in  social  converse  the  company  adjourned 
to  the  audience  room  of  the  church,  where  a  public 
meeting  was  held.  Bishop  Foster  presided,  and  ad- 
dresses were  delivered  by  Dr.  Murdock,  of  the 
American  Baptist  Union ;  and  Rev.  Dr.  Clarke,  of 
the  American  Board ;  Dr.  Humphrey,  of  the  India 
Mission  ;  and  Dr.  Dashiell,  our  Missionary  Secretary. 

On  Monday  following  a  large  number  of  dele- 
gates visited  the  beautiful  and  classic  city  of  Lynn. 
They  were  warmly  welcomed,  and  invited  to  a 
bountiful  supper  prepared  for  them  in  the  vestry  of 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  after  which 


Ninth  Annual  Meeting.  277 

a  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  audience  roonn. 
The  audience  was  large  and  enthusiastic.  Rev.  Mr. 
Hills,  the  pastor,  in  his  opening  remarks  alluded  to 
the  fact  that  they  were  standing  on  historic  ground, 
and  spoke  of  the  different  reception  which  had  been 
accorded  to  them  from  that  given  to  Jesse  Lee 
when  he  came  to  Lynn.  Mrs.  Lathrop,  of  Michi- 
gan, was  introduced,  and  in  eloquent  language 
spoke  of  the  emotions  she  experienced  as  she  looked 
down  the  vista  of  the  past,  and  in  imagination  be- 
held Lee  and  Asbury  standing  on  this  hallowed 
spot,  preaching  Christ  and  him  crucified.  She 
loved  New  England,  although  a  Western  woman, 
and  was  happy  to  know  that  they  could  work  to- 
gether in  sending  the  Gospel  to  a  heathen  land. 
Mrs.  Emily  Huntington  Miller  read  an  original 
poem  of  great  beauty  and  appropriateness,  after 
which  Mrs.  Ninde,  of  Minnesota,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Humphrey,  addressed  the  meeting. 

The  anniversary,  held  in  Bromfield-street  Church, 
May  15,  was  an  occasion  of  great  interest.  Mrs. 
Skidmore  presided.  Mrs.  Willing,  of  Chicago,  led 
the  devotional  exercises.  Mrs.  J.  T.  Gracey,  the 
Secretary,  read  the  report,  and  addresses  were  de- 
livered by  Mrs.  Chandler,  of  Baltimore ;  Miss 
Sparkes,  of  Bareilly,  India ;  and  Mrs.  Keen,  of 
Philadelphia.  The  presence  at  the  meetings  of 
Mrs.  Flanders  and  Mrs.  Rich,  who  were  among  the 
early  workers  and  originators  of  the  Society,  greatly 
enhanced  the  interest  of  the  occasion. 

Twelve  new  missionaries  were  appointed,  namely, 
Mary  F.  Swaney  and  Clara  Mulliner,  to  Mexico ; 


2/8     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Julia  A.  Sparr  and  Clara  A.  Cushman,  to  China ; 
Henrietta  B.  Woolston,  S.  A.  Easton,  Eugenia  Gib- 
son, and  M.  E.  Layton,  to  India ;  and  Susan  B. 
Higgins,  Matilda  A.  Spencer,  M.  A.  Holbrook,  and 
M.  A.  Priest,  to  Japan. 

All  the  exercises,  together  with  the  large  number 
of  missionaries  newly  appointed  to  the  work  in 
foreign  fields,  inspired  the  ladies  with  courage  and 
enthusiasm,  and  they  returned  to  their  homes  filled 
with  gratitude  to  God  for  the  work  already  accom- 
plished, and  determined  to  labor  with  renewed 
earnestness  for  the  extension  of  his  kingdom. 


Mary  F.  Siva  my.  279 


MARY  F.  SWANEY. 

MARY  F.  SWANEY  is  the  daughter  of  J.  A. 
Swaney,  who  was  appointed  by  the  American 
Bible  Society  to  superintend  Bible-work  in  South 
America.  She  was  converted,  when  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  at  a  camp-meeting  in  Pennsylvania. 
Soon  after,  she  became  a  Sabbath-school  teacher, 
and  has  ever  since  been  actively  engaged  in  this 
work.  In  the  Bethel  Sunday-school,  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  she  had  marked  success  in  this  capacity,  and 
exerted  a  powerful  influence  for  good. 

One  who  is  intimately  acquainted  with  her,  says  : 
"  Her  Christian  course  has  been  marked  by  conscien- 
tiousness, prudence,  and  a  strict  adherence  to  duty. 
She  is  naturally  modest  and  diffident,  and  never 
thought  she  could  do  any  thing  in  public  till  cir- 
cumstances compelled  her  to  try.  When  convinced 
of  duty,  no  consideration  ever  kept  her  from  at- 
tempting to  perform  it." 

Miss  Swaney  spent  about  eight  years  in  South 
America,  going  with  her  parents  to  Callao,  Peru,  in 
1859,  when  nine  years  of  age.  She  returned  with 
them  three  years  afterward,  when  they  were  recalled 
during  the  war  in  this  country.  She  began  the 
study  of  Spanish  in  Callao,  with  a  native  teacher, 
but  her 'studies  were  mostly  in  English.  She  sub- 
sequently studied,  first  at  the  Beaver  College,  Bea- 
18 


28o    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

ver,  Pennsylvania,  and  then  at  the  Pittsburgh  Fe- 
male College. 

In  1868  she  returned  with  her  parents  to  Chili, 
South  America,  where  she  remained  five  years. 
She  taught  Spanish-speaking  Talcahuans  during 
this  time.  The  impression  made  by  her  school  may 
be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  Bishop  of  Con- 
cepcion  thought  it  necessary  to  denounce  it  from 
the  pulpit  in  Talcahuana.  This  occasioned  the  loss 
of  one  scholar.  While  in  this  place  she  was  en- 
gaged in  Sunday-school  work  also,  and  conducted 
the  music  for  Church  services. 

Returning  from  Chili,  she  again  entered  the  Bea- 
ver College,  from  which  she  graduated.  In  1878 
she  was  appointed  missionary  to  the  city  of  Mexico, 
Mexico.  All  her  previous  life  has  been  peculiarly 
calculated  to  qualify  her  for  her  present  work. 

In  a  private  letter  to  the  writer.  Miss  Belle  Hart, 
of  Baltimore,  says  :  "  I  know  of  nothing  wanting  in 
her  to  make  her  a  most  successful  missionary  teach- 
er. She  has  enthusiasm,  warm  social  qualities,  but 
so  chastened,  so  controlled,  so  imbued  with  common 
sense,  that  one  that  does  not  know  her  well  might 
not  know  their  power.  Indeed,  the  simplicity  and 
steadfastness  of  her  faith,  her  patience,  the  clearness 
of  her  judgment,  her  guilelessness  and  sweetness  of 
spirit,  her  calm  courage,  her  unwavering  devotion 
to  duty,  unmoved  by  outward  circumstances,  have 
been  to  me  a  most  fruitful,  even  wonderful  lesson. 
I  think  her  a  model  missionary,  and  my  association 
with  her,  before  leaving  and  since,  has  been  most 
intimate,  and  of  a  kind  that  would  fully  reveal  all 


Mary  F.  Swancy.  28 1 

that  is  in  her.  Her  appointment  to  Mexico,  her 
waiting,  her  hasty  departure,  have  all  been  under 
peculiarly  trying  circumstances,  and  they  have  only 
shown  pure  gold." 

After  reaching  Mexico,  Miss  Swaney  writes  :  "  All 
goes  well.  The  girls  are  in  good  health,  bright  and 
happy.  My  native  teacher  has  left  me,  for  unavoid- 
able reasons.  What  I  am  to  do  I  cannot  tell,  but 
expect  to  have  a  way  shown  me.  My  health  is 
given  me  from  day  to  day.  Nothing  annoys,  noth- 
ing wears  on  me  now.  The  next  month  promises 
to  be  very  trying,  with  lack  of  teachers,  and  with 
the  quarterly  reports  on  my  hands.  How  all  is  to 
be  accomplished  I  do  not  see,  and  I  do  not  ask. 
Each  day  brings  sufficient  grace  and  strength.  I 
want  to  beg  you  to  pray  especially  for  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit  on  our  work  in  Mexico.  It  is  the 
felt  need  of  the  hour.  I  need  it,  the  children  need 
it,  the  women  need  it,  the  Church,  the  preachers, 
the  land  need  it.     I  long  for  it  as  for  nothing  else. 

Do   ask  Mrs. ,  and  ,   and  other  blessed 

women,  to  pray  for  the  Spirit's  baptism  on  Mexico. 
God  is  with  us.  We  realize  his  presence,  especially 
in  our  class-meetings  for  our  girls,  but  we  need 
more." 


282  WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 


JULIA  A.  SPARR,  M.D. 

TULIA  A.  SPARR  is  a  native  of  Selina,  Dela- 
*f   ware  County,  Indiana,  and  was  born  July  17, 

1853.  Her  father  is  a  Methodist  clergyman,  and 
her  mother  an  earnest  and  faithful  Christian  work- 
er. Miss  Sparr  pays  them  the  following  tribute  : 
*•  All  the  good  of  my  present  and  future  life  is  due 
to  the  careful  and  prayerful  teaching  of  my  parents, 
whose  pure  faith  and  spotless  lives  were  an  exam- 
ple and  an  inspiration  to  me."  When  about  ten 
years  of  age  she  was  converted,  and  united  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  As  she  presented 
herself  for  prayers,  during  a  season  of  revival,  she 
said  to  her  mother,  "  They  say  I  am  so  young  I 
have  no  sins  to  be  forgiven ;  but  Brother  S.  said 
we  would  know  it  when  we  were  converted,  and  I 
do  not  know  it  yet." 

From  the  time  of  her  conversion  she  began  to 
have  a  desire  to  be  a  missionary.  She  says,  "  The 
purpose  became  stronger  as  I  came  to  girlhood.  I 
put  other  bright  dreams  aside,  and,  although  this 
was  but  a  dream  also,  yet  it  seemed  more  precious 
than  any  of  the  others."  In  1872  she  graduated 
from  the  Academy  at  Muncie',  Indiana,  and  for  two 
years  after  she  was  engaged  in  teaching  school.  She 
then  offered  herself  to  the  "  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  "  for  service  in  a  foreign  field.    She 


Julia  A.  Sparr,  M.D.  283 

was  accepted,  and  advised  to  study  medicine,  in  or- 
der to  enlarge  the  sphere  of  her  usefulness.  She 
commenced  the  study  in  1873.  In  the  spring  of 
1875  she  entered  .the  hospital  in  Ypsilanti,  Michi- 
gan, where  she  remained  until  September,  when  she 
removed  to  the  medical  department  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor.  In  October,  1877, 
she  received  her  degree  from  this  institution. 

In  July  of  the  same  year  she  went  to  the  Wom- 
an's Hospital,  of  Philadelphia,  where  she  served  for 
several  months.  In  May,  1878,  she  received  her  ap- 
pointment to  Foochow,  China.  Though  devotedly 
attached  to  her  home  friends,  she  joyfully  forsook 
all  to  follow  Christ,  saying,  as  she  left  them,  "  This 
is  the  happiest  day  of  my  life." 

Our  Society  has  much  to  hope  from  the  services 
of  Miss  Sparr.  She  is  intelligent,  bright,  cultured, 
conscientious,  self-sacrificing,  and  affectionate  in 
disposition,  and  will  be  sure  to  win  souls. 

Mrs.  Baldwin,  of  Foochow,  China,  writes :  "  Dr. 
Sparr  is  with  us  at  Sharp  Peak.  I  can  assure  you 
we  have  two  of  the  nicest  doctors  your  Society  has 
sent  out.  Dr.  Sparr  is  just  the  associate  for  Dr. 
Trask,  and  they  live  together  like  sisters.  They  are 
as  good  girls  and  good  workers  as  I  want  to  see." 

The  Ninth  Annual  Report  of  the  Woman's  For- 
eign Missionary  Society  says  :  "  The  medical  work 
in  Foochow  has  been  most  ably  re-enforced  during 
the  year  by  the  arrival  of  Miss  Julia  A.  Sparr,  M.  D. 
By  the  presence  of  two  physicians  one  will  be  able 
to  give  herself  chiefly  to  hospital  practice,  the  other 
to  meet  the  demand  in  the  city  and  adjacent  coun- 


284  WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

try  for  medical  treatment.  Miss  Sparr  has  already 
given  abundant  proof  of  her  devotion  and  success 
in  the  treatment  of  patients,  and  of  great  heroism 
and  self-sacrifice  in  the  care  of  small-pox  patients 
under  quarantine  in  a  pest-ship," 

Miss  Sparr  also  wields  a  graceful  pen,  as  is  shown 
by  the  many  beautiful  articles  written  by  her  before 
her  appointment  to  China,  and  published  in  the 
home  papers. 


Susan  B.  Higgins.  285 


SUSAN  B.  HIGGINS. 

SUSAN  B.  HIGGINS  is  a  native  of  George- 
town, Maine,  and  was  born  August  10,  1842. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Josiah  and  Sarah  Hig- 
gins, and,  like  the  children  of  other  itinerant  Meth- 
odist preachers,  in  her  early  childhood  she  had  no 
"  continuing  city,"  no  local  habitation  ;  but,  with  her 
parents,  at  different  times  resided  in  the  different 
villages  within  the  bounds  of  the  Maine  Conference, 
of  which  her  father  was  an  influential  and  promi- 
nent member.  Mingling  with  the  purest  and  best 
of  her  father's  flock,  the  influences  brought  to  bear 
upon  her  young  life  were  of  the  most  healthful  char- 
acter. Of  her  home  life  she  says :  "  My  mother — 
now  in  glory — walked  as  a  saint  before  her  house- 
hold. She  led  the  way  to  heaven  by  the  blessed- 
ness of  a  gentle,  consecrated  life.  Guided  by  such 
a  one,  can  you  wonder  that  I  distinctly  remember 
gentle  knockings  from  a  pierced  hand  when  only 
eleven  years  of  age  ?  " 

In  1855  her  father  was  stationed  at  Chelsea,  Mass., 
in  the  suburbs  of  Boston.  Here  Susan  remained  to 
complete  her  education,  graduating  with  honors 
from  the  Chelsea  High  School,  and  immediately 
after  commenced  teaching  in  the  same  city.  She 
remained  there  teaching  in  the  various  grades,  and 
being  constantly  promoted  until  she  reached  the 


286    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

highest  post  of  honor,  which  she  rehnquished  only 
after  her  appointment  to  a  wider  and  more  distinct- 
ive field  of  labor  in  Japan. 

In  relation  to  this  she  says :  "  I  was  converted  in 
the  year  1858,  and  early  in  my  Christian  experience 
became  greatly  interested  in  the  cause  of  missions, 
and  after  my  graduation  from  school,  cherished  the 
thought  that  some  day  God  might  call  me.  I  felt 
so  utterly  unfit  for  any  such  service,  that  I  dared 
not  mention  it.  Many  a  time,  when  our  yearly  of- 
ferings were  solicited,  it  was  in  my  mind  to  write, 
I  give  myself.' 

"  While  perplexed  and  pondering  these  questions 
came  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Board  in  Boston. 
At  the  very  opening  Dr.  Dashiell's  remarks  as  to 
the  needs  of  the  work  in  Mexico  made  me  linger  at 
the  close  of  the  service  questioning  with  my  heart 
as  to  whether  I  had  better  offer  myself.  The  same 
battle  had  to  be  fought  after  listening  to  Miss 
Sparkes's  tender  words:  'It  did  seem  as  if  in  all 
Christian  America  some  one  would  be  found  will- 
ing to  go.'  On  my  way  home  from  the  meeting  I 
was  told  by  several  persons  that  it  was  thought  that 
I  ought  to  go,  but  I  felt  so  unworthy  I  did  not  let 
my  heart  be  known. 

*'  O,  how  dear  my  native  land  and  friends  became 
as  I  tried  to  relinquish  them !  Surely  they  were 
the  idols  that  bound  me  !  Nothing  but  the  peremp- 
tory command  of  God  himself  can  satisfy  the  soul 
in  that  hour  when  a  woman,  alone,  solemnly  re- 
solves to  put  half  the  world  between  herself  and 
her  kindred  in  the  flesh,  for  the  sake  of  those  who 


Susan  B.  Higgins.  287 

are  to  be  made  kindred  through  the  blood  of  Christ. 
No  'romance  of  missions'  will  satisfy  in  the  hours 
when  she  is  battling  with  a  new  tongue  among  a 
strange  people,  seeming  bound  on  the  right  hand 
and  on  the  left  by  new  and  untoward  circumstances. 
In  these  hours  nothing  will  sustain  like  the  recollec- 
tion of  God's  sure  voice  having  called,  and  the  cer- 
tainty that  one  is  under  his  appointment.  So 
through  those  days  of  meditation  I  came  to  the  de- 
cision, *  Here  I  am,  Lord  !  Only  let  me  be  sure  of 
thy  call,  and  I  will  follow  thee.'  The  meeting  of 
the  Board  closed  without  my  offering  myself.  Then 
came  our  quarterly  meeting,  on  the  I2th  of  June, 
1878,  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  in  my  history. 
I  had  been  anticipating  much  from  the  meeting, 
feeling  an  unusual  interest  in  it ;  but  just  as  I  was 
about  going,  a  sudden  and  severe  shower  arose,  so 
that  I  deemed  it  imprudent  to  venture  out,  and  I  be- 
gan laying  other  plans  for  my  time,  in  the  midst  of 
which  I  felt  strangely  moved  to  ask  God's  decision 
about  even  this  seemingly  unimportant  event.  I 
sought  him,  and  implored  his  aid  and  guidance,  ask- 
ing that  he  would  show  me  from  the  word  just  the 
duty  of  that  hour.  Opening  my  Bible  my  eyes  im- 
mediately fell  on  this  passage,  '  And  I  said,  What 
shall  I  do,  Lord  ?  And  the  Lord  said  unto  me, 
Arise,  and  go  into  Damascus ;  and  there  it  shall  be 
told  thee  of  all  things  which  are  appointed  for  thee 
to  do.*  Acts  xxii,  10.  Like  Paul,  I  immediately  went 
into  the  city,  finding  the  meeting  in  session,  but  no 
message  for  me,  but  feeling  sure  that  God's  will  con- 
cerning me  would,  somehow,  there  be  revealed. 


288    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  as  Mrs.  Daggett 
passed,  she  remarked  to  me,  '  I  think  we  will  send 
you  as  a  missionary  some  time.'  'Any  tinted  I  re- 
plied. She  passed  on  a  little,  but  returned,  and, 
taking  my  hand,  while  her  eyes  looked  into  my  very 
soul,  she  said,  *  Apply,  then  ;  apply.'  God  had  met 
me  on  the  very  ground  where  I  had  been  hesitating. 
I  went  to  my  room  pondering  the  question  as  from 
God,  and  feeling  that  now  the  question  must  be 
fairly  met  and  decided.  The  first  salutation  that 
met  me,  yet  undecided,  was  from  my  room-mate, 
'  Susan,  are  you  going  to  be  a  missionary  ?  '  and 
with  it  came  the  decision  and  answer,  '  /  am  going 
to  apply! 

*'  I  went  to  Mrs.  Daggett,  telling  her  that  I  had 
followed  her  instruction.  She  said,  *  Why  could 
you  not  have  decided  at  the  annual  meeting  ;  our 
work  is  all  planned  for  another  year,  and  there  may 
be  no  vacancy ;  but,'  she  added,  '  God  never  calls 
one  without  a  place  for  her.'  Within  two  weeks 
there  is  to  be  a  meeting  of  the  New  England 
Branch  for  other  business,  and  I  will  send  for  you 
to  come  and  meet  the  ladies.'  In  less  than  a  week 
I  was  summoned  from  my  school-room  to  meet 
them.  When  I  told  them  my  reasons  for  my  com- 
ing were,  that  the  responsibility  of  the  matter,  as 
far  as  my  efforts  were  concerned,  might  hereafter 
cease,  Mrs.  Warren,  the  President,  said  to  me,  '  We 
consider  this  a  very  providential  thing,  for  our  Sec- 
retary to-day  has  brought  the  resignation  of  the 
lady  appointed  by  the  Annual  Meeting  to  Yoko- 
ham-a,  and  we  appoint  you  in  her  place.'     On  the  6th 


Susan  B.  Higgins.  ^89 

of  August  I  received  notification  of  my  acceptance 
by  the  Board,  and  on  the  14th  was  informed  that  I 
must  be  ready  to  start  by  the  middle  of  September." 

From  a  September  number  of  "  Zion's  Herald," 
published  in  Boston,  1878,  we  copy  the  following, 
written  by  Rev.  Mark  Trafton,  D.D.  :  "  But  I  see 
another  and  familiar  name — the  name  of  one  who 
is  soon  to  sail  as  a  missionary — Miss  Susan  B.  Hig- 
gins, daughter  of  my  old  friend  and  class-leader, 
Rev.  Josiah  Higgins,  for  many  years  a  popular 
member  of  the  Maine  Annual  Conference.  When  I 
first  knew  him  he  was  a  theological  student  in  the 
Bangor  Seminary,  and  a  local  preacher  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  He  was  zealous,  active,  and 
influential,  and  had  a  large  share  in  the  planting  of 
the  first  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Bangor. 
He  was  at  the  first  Methodist  inquiry  meeting  I  at- 
tended, and  when  I  joined  the  class  he  was  present. 
His  words  of  counsel  and  earnest  exhortations  were 
a  blessing  to  me  in  my  early  Christian  life.  I  re- 
call those  labors  with  gratitude,  and  from  my  quiet 
home,  at  this  midnight  hour,  I  send  my  congratula- 
tions for  the  honor  put  upon  him  by  this  cheerful 
offering  of  a  daughter  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 

"  Her  sainted  mother — I  see  her  now,  not  in  her 
bridal  robes,  as  I  saw  her  once,  but  in  the  radiant 
glory  of  the  redeemed — will  look  down  upon  her 
with  a  mother's  tenderness,  and  watch  her  in  her 
labors.  I  give  you  joy,  my  old  friend  !  Give  her 
one  of  your  old-time  smiles,  and  send  her  off  in 
gladness.  She  is  only  going  to  Japan,  no  farther. 
The    distance    is   comparatively    no    greater    than 


290     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

from  your  father's  house^in  BuckspOrt,  to  your  first 
circuit.  You  can  hear  from  her  every  hour,  if  need 
be.  Science  and  art  have  annihilated  space,  and 
brought  the  nations  to  be  next-door  neighbors. 

"  And  blessings  upon  you,  daughter  of  my  old 
friend  and  companion  in  labor !  May  the  good 
God  and  Father  guide,  sustain,  and  bless  you,  fill- 
ing your  crown  with  stars  which  shall  shine  for  ever 
and  ever  !  Soon  you  and  the  loved  ones  you  leave, 
for  a  Saviour,  shall  be  reunited  to  part  no  more." 

"  Hark,  how  the  gentle  echo  from  her  cell 
Sighs  through  the  cliffs,  and  murmuring  o'er  the  stream. 
Repeats  the  sentence,  We  shall  part  no  more." 

After  a  pleasant  voyage  she  reached  Yokohama, 
and  entered  upon  her  work  November  i,  1878. 
Writing  back,  she  says  :  "  On  account  of  the  illness 
of  Mrs.  C,  a  change  of  locality,  etc.,  the  school 
had  nearly  lost  its  existence,  when,  on  Novem- 
ber I,  I  entered  it  as  English  teacher.  Weekly  the 
Lord  has  blessed  us  and  enlarged  our  borders.  We 
unite  with  another  school  for  Sunday-school  serv- 
ices, as  we  are  too  far  removed  from  the  church  for 
them  to  attend  the  regular  Sunday-school  held  un- 
der its  auspices.  Once  in  three  months  we  hold 
union  services  there,  where  are  shown  the  results  of 
a  healthy  rivalry  in  learning  the  things  taught  in  the 
respective  schools. 

"  On  Tuesdays  I  hold  a  Bible-class  for  students 
who  can  read  in  Japanese.  We  are  taking  the  Gos- 
pel of  Matthew  in  course.  It  gives  me  an  oppor- 
tunity, by  help  of  my  personal  teacher  as  an  inter- 
preter, not  only  to  teach  them  the  Bible  truth,  but 


Susati  B.  Higghis.  291 

to  examine  them  on  the  work  of  the  Japanese 
teacher,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Church,  and  is 
instructed  to  teach  Christianity  with  his  daily- 
lessons. 

"  My  mornings  I  devote  faithfully  to  the  study 
of  the  language,  longing  that  communication  may 
speedily  be  given  me  with  all  who  are  ready  to  hear 
the  truth.  There  are  numerous  suburban  villages 
which  we  could  enter  for  school  purposes,  could  it 
be  found  possible  to  meet  the  expense  of  teacher 
and  rent.  My  hope  and  plan  for  the  future,  is 
somewhat  like  this  :  to  watch  carefully  among  the 
girls  for  those  who  might  become  desirable  Bible- 
women,  and,  after  I  am  sufficiently  familiar  with  the 
language,  and  they  are  sufficiently  educated,  to 
take  them  under  daily  instruction,  and  send  them 
to  the  homes  of  those  who  come  not  to  inquire  the 
way.  There  are  three  girls  now  that  I  am  conse- 
crating to  this  work,  if  the  Lord  will ;  two  of  them 
are  reading  in  easy  English,  of  which  four  months 
since  they  knew  nothing.  My  one  desire  is  to  be 
led  of  the  Lord  in  my  work  for  him  among  this 
people." 

To  the  writer  she  says :  "  We  commenced  here 
in  November  with  four  scholars,  and  now  have 
sixty-seven.  We  are  encouraged  by  the  interest  the 
mothers  of  some  of  our  children  take  in  the  school 
and  in  the  hymns  taught  there.  Seed  is  being  sown 
that  one  day  shall  bring  forth  fruit  for  the  garner 
of  the  Master. 

"  There  is  not  much  to  be  said  by  a  new-comer, 
but  I  hope  before  another  six  months  shall  have 


292     WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

fled  to  have  something  of  interest  to  tell.  There  is 
little  to  show  in  the  foundation  of  a  house  that  is 
interesting  except  to  a  builder.  The  Book  up  yon- 
der will  show  the  true  record,  and  whether  we  have 
put  into  our  building  precious  stones,  or  *  wood, 
hay,  and  stubble.'  God  grant  it  may  stand  in  the 
day  of  the  Lord  !  " 

She  closes  her  interesting  letter  with  the  following 
beautiful  lines  from  Horatius  Bonar : 

"  Needs  there  the  praise  of  the  love-written  record — • 
The  name  and  the  epitaph  graved  on  the  stone  ? 
The  things  we  have  lived  for,  let  them  be  our  story, 
We  ourselves  but  remembered  by  what  we  have  dont. 

'  I  need  not  be  missed,  if  another  succeed  me 

To  reap  down  those  fields  which  in  spring  I  have  soW9, 
He  who  plowed  and  who  sowed  is  not  missed  by  the  reaper, 
He  is  only  remembered  by  what  he  has  done. 

"  Not  myself,  but  the  truth  that  in  life  I  have  spokel. 
Not  myself,  but  the  seed  that  in  life  I  have  sown. 
Shall  pass  on  to  ages — all  about  me  forgotten 

Save  the  truth  I  have  uttered,  the  things  I  have  doQe« 

"  So  let  my  living  be,  so  let  my  dying  ; 

So  let  my  name  be  unblazoned,  unknown, 
Unpraised  and  unmissed.  I  shall  yet  be  remembered, 
Yes,  but  remembered  by  what  I  have  done. 

We  leave  our  sister  in  her  school  in  Yokohama. 
Our  hearts  are  beating  high  with  hopes  for  the  fu- 
ture of  our  mission  there,  and  we  believe  that  when 
life's  labor  is  ended  and  the  records  proclaimed  be- 
fore an  assembled  universe,  she  will  be  "  remem- 
bered by  what  she  has  done,"  and  from  the  lips  of 
the  supreme  Judge  shall  hear  the  welcome  words, 


Susan  B.  Higgins.  293 

"  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me." 

Note. — Scarcely  had  we  finished  writing  the  above  sketch  ere  the 
tidings  flashed  over  the  wires,  "  Miss  Higgins  is  dead  !  "  Being  taken 
suddenly  ill  she  consulted  a  physician,  who  said,  "  You  may  get 
well,  but  it  is  very  doubtful."  She  calmly  replied,  "  I  am  in  the 
Lord's  hands.  Living  or  dying,  I  am  his."  She  lived  but  a  few 
weeks  after.  During  her  last  hours  she  was  filled  with  unutterable 
joy.    She  requested  singing. 

"  Jesus  can  make  a  dying  bed 
Feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are," 

was  sung,  and  befcire  the  sound  of  the  last  line  had  died  away,  she 
herself  took  up  the  verse, 

"  O  would  my  Lord  his  servant  meet, 

My  soul  would  stretch  her  wings  in  haste, 

Fly  fearless  through  death's  iron  gate. 
Nor  feel  the  terror  as  she  passed." 

Thus  triumphantly  she  passed  into  the  heavens.  She  was  buried 
ia  Tokio,  July  4,  1879. 


294    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


HENRIETTA  B.  WOOLSTON,  M.D. 

HENRIETTA  B.  WOOLSTON  is  a  cousin 
of  the  two  ladies  of  that  name,  who  have 
so  long  and  faithfully  served  the  cause  of  missions 
in  China.  She  was  born  at  Mount  Holly,  New 
Jersey.  After  pursuing  her  education  at  home,  she 
entered  a  school  in  Newark,  and  from  thence  she 
went  to  the  Philadelphia  Medical  College.  Subse- 
quently she  removed  to  Vincenttown,  New  Jersey. 
She  sailed  from  New  York,  November  9,  1878,  in 
company  with  Misses  Gibson  and  Sparkes.  She 
reached  Moradabad,  India,  and  entered  at  once 
upon  her  medical  work,  in  which  she  is  still  en- 
gaged at  the  present  writing. 


Salina  Alcesta  East  on.  295 


SALINA  ALCESTA  EASTON. 

Q ALINA  A.  EASTON  was  born  in  Middlesex, 
O  Yates  County,  N.  Y.  When  about  eighteen 
years  of  age  she  entered  the  Female  Wesleyan  Sem- 
inary, at  Lima,  remaining  there  two  years.  From 
thence  she  went  to  the  Wesleyan  Female  College, 
in  Cincinnati,  from  which  she  graduated  in  1854, 
after  which  she  taught  in  the  same  institution,  and 
also  in  an  academy  in  Perry,  Wyoming  County, 
N.  Y.  She  next  taught  mathematics  and  English 
literature,  in  the  Wesleyan  Female  College,  in  Wil- 
mington, Del.  Here  she  remained  for  about  seven- 
teen years,  being  also  preceptress  in  the  institu- 
tion for  several  years  of  the  time. 

The  last  teaching  she  did  before  her  departure 
for  India  was  in  connection  with  Mrs.  Somers'  La- 
dies' College,  in  the  City  of  W^ashington,  D.  C, 
Here  she  remained  two  years,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  she  received  her  appointment  to  Cawnpore, 
India,  and  sailed  in  the  autumn  of  1878. 

Miss  Easton  is  a  lady  of  large  capabilities — intel- 
lectually, socially,  and  spiritually.  She  has  a  clas- 
sical education,  a  keen,  discriminating  mind,  can 
readily  read  character,  is  unselfish,  unremitting  in 
her  efforts  to  advaace  the  interests  of  the  pupils 
committed  to  her  care.     Eternity  alone  can  reveal 

the  good  she  has  already  accomplished  by  the  iinflu- 
19 


296    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

ence  of  her  pure  life,  as  it  has  come  in  contact  with, 
and  left  its  impress  upon,  the  youth  who  have 
been  under  her  instruction.  She  was  converted  to 
Christ  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  has  ever 
since  been  a  most  conscientious,  devoted  Christian. 
She  was  appointed  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  to  superintend  and  teach  among 
the  English-speaking  people  of  Cawnpore.  We 
know,  if  her  life  is  spared,  great  good  will  be  sure  to 
result  from  her  efforts  to  enlighten  and  elevate  the 
women  of  India. 


Matilda  A.  Spencer,  297 


MATILDA  A.  SPENCER. 

MATILDA  A.  SPENCER  was  born  in  Phila^ 
delphia,  January  16,  1848.  Subsequently 
she  removed  with  her  parents  to  Germantown,  now 
incorporated  in  the  city  limits,  where  she  resided 
until  her  departure  for  Japan.  Her  parents  were 
intelligent  and  deeply  pious.  Miss  Spencer  says : 
"  To  them  I  owe  all  my  early  religious  impressions. 
They  were  untiring  in  their  efforts  to  set  before  me 
a  true  Christian  example,  and  they  led  me  in  the 
paths  of  righteousness." 

From  her  earliest  childhood  she  longed  to  be  a 
Christian,  and  greatly  admired  holy,  devoted  fol- 
lowers of  Christ.  She  joined  the  Church  when 
about  fourteen  years  of  age.  But  she  says :  "  I 
had  not  as  yet  experienced  the  removal  of  my  bur- 
den of  sin,  and  while  conscientiously  striving  to  do 
duty,  and  serve  the  Lord  aright,  I  had  no  comfort 
or  peace  of  mind.  I  did  not  love  the  class-meet- 
ings. I  had  not  the  joyful  experience  which  other 
Christians  enjoyed,  and  which  I  knew  it  was  my 
privilege  to  have,  and  when  communion  Sabbath 
came  I  felt  that  I  was  too  unworthy  to  have  a 
place  at  the  Lord's  table,  and  constantly  grieved 
that  I  could  not  understand  the  way  of  salvation. 

"  Thus  matters  stood  for  several  years,  until, 
through  the  labor  of  one  of  God's  chosen  handmaids, 


298   WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

I  was  brought  to  see  the  simplicity  of  the  plan  to 
save  mankind,  when,  casting  away  all  self-laid  plans 
and  purposes,  I  trusted  Jesus  and  zvas saved.  At  the 
Executive  Meeting  held  in  Minneapolis,  in  May, 
1877,  I  was  led  to  make  a  full  consecration  of  my- 
self to  Christ ;  and  ever  since  that  time  I  have  felt 
a  sacred  nearness  to  him,  a  blessed  abiding  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  satisfying  my  longing  for  peace  and 
rest,  and  giving  me  implicit  confidence  in  the  prom- 
ises of  his  word." 

Of  her  call  to  foreign  work  she  says :  "  It  came 
unexpectedly  to  myself  one  evening  while  alone. 
It  was  as  if  a  voice  said  to  me,  '  You  must  be  a  mis- 
sionary, and  carry  the  Gospel  to  heathen  lands.'  I 
said  nothing  for  several  weeks,  praying  and  seeking 
guidance  from  above.  But  when  I  became  assured 
that  it  was  of  God's  appointing,  I  offered  myself  to 
the  Society." 

Miss  Spencer  was  educated  in  private  schools,  in 
the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia.  When  she  offered  her- 
self to  the  Ladies'  Society  for  foreign  work,  she  ex- 
pected to  be  sent  to  the  English-speaking  people  in 
Cawnpore  ;  but  when  it  was  decided  that  she  was  to 
go  to  Tokio,  Japan,  she  made  no  objection.  "  Any- 
where for  Jesus  ! "  she  replied,  and  accepted  the 
field  with  gratitude. 

Miss  Spencer  is  a  graceful  and  ready  writer.  She 
has  but  just  entered  her  field  of  labor,  but  the 
Church  has  much  to  expect  from  her  pure  life  and 
consecrated  talents. 


Mary  A.  Holbrook.  299 


MARY  A.  HOLBROOK. 

THE  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  England, 
on  Christmas-day,  1852.  Her  father  was  a  lo- 
cal preacher,  but,  emigrating  with  his  family  to 
America,  joined  the  Wyoming  Conference,  of  which 
he  has  continued  an  honored  member.  He  is  a 
man  of  marked  ability,  sterling  integrity,  and  deep 
piety. 

She  was  also  blessed  with  a  mother  whose  unob- 
trusive piety  and  gentle,  loving  spirit  have  done 
much  to  mold  the  character  of  her  children,  and 
give  the  right  course  to  the  current  of  their  lives. 
Mary  was  the  eldest  daughter,  and  while  very 
young  evinced  a  great  love  for  learning.  In  her 
childhood  she  began  to  write  poems  for  the  press, 
some  of  which  have  appeared  in  our  Church  period- 
icals. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  she  had  mastered  all  that 
was  then  taught  in  the  common  schools.  Her  thirst 
for  knowledge  was  always  encouraged  by  her  par- 
ents, and  they  cheerfully  made  every  possible  sacri- 
fice on  their  part  to  enable  them  to  render  her  all 
the  assistance  in  their  power.  Accordingly  she  was 
placed  in  the  Wyoming  Seminary,  where,  with  an 
almost  incredible  amount  of  self-denial,  untiring  en- 
ergy, and  persistent  labor,  she  assisted  in  defraying 
her  expenses,  and   graduated  at  the  end  of  three 


300    WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

years  with  the  highest  honors.  The  late  lamented 
Dr.  R.  Nelson  was  then  principal  of  the  institution. 
He  was  much  interested  in  his  young  pupil,  and, 
desiring  to  see  her  persevering  industry  rewarded, 
kindly  opened  the  way  for  her. 

Having  secured  her  own  education,  her  next  am- 
bition was,  that  her  sisters  should  be  educated  in 
the  same  school ;  but,  fearing  for  their  health,  she 
would  never  consent  for  them  to  undertake  the  ex- 
tra labor  she  had  performed.  Self-forgetting,  she 
resolved  to  devote  her  time  to  securing  funds  to 
assist  them. 

After  her  two  sisters  had  graduated,  she  felt  that 
her  work  in  this  direction  was  done,  and  that  she 
was  now  free  to  entertain  the  hope  deferred,  but 
still  cherished  within  her  inmost  soul,  of  devoting 
her  life  to  missionary  teaching  and  labor. 

Miss  Ellen  R.  Martin,  A.M.,  the  lady  Principal 
of  Wyoming  Seminary,  thus  speaks  of  Miss  Hol- 
brook : 

"  I  take  great  pleasure  in  giving  you  any  facts 
concerning  my  friend,  but  I  feel  that  I  know  more 
of  her  history  since  we  parted  as  pupil  and  teach- 
er than  I  knew  of  it  while  she  was  a  student. 
I  came  to  Wyoming  Seminary  in  the  fall  of  1868, 
and  that  was  Miss  Holbrook's  last  school  year. 
Among  a  bevy  of  merr>'  school  girls  might  have 
been  selected  one  as  full  of  glee  as  the  most  joyous, 
yet  one  with  a  degree  of  earnestness  and  thought- 
fulness  that  hinted  she  was  cherishing  noble  pur- 
poses, though,  as  yet,  they  might  not  be  clearly  de- 
fined.   It  did  not  take  me  long  to  discover  that  this 


Mary  A.  Holbrook.  301 

young  girl  of  fifteen  was  a  ruling  spirit  among  her 
mates  ;  yet  so  gently  did  she  win  the  girls  over  to 
her  opinions,  and  sway  them  by  her  influence,  that, 
I  think,  they  scarcely  knew  that  she  was  leader ;  she 
certainly  did  not  recognize  her  own  power  in  this 
respect. 

"  Desirous  to  establish  a  young  ladies'  prayer- 
meeting  in  the  seminary,  I  felt  that  to  her  I  must 
look  for  its  chief  support.  At  first  she  seemed  to 
think  the  effort  would  be  futile ;  but  after  several 
conversations  she  expressed  a  willingness  to  under- 
take the  work.  I  assured  her  there  could  be  no 
failure  if  she  would  promise  to  be  faithful,  and  often 
on  the  Sabbath  afternoons  of  that  fall  term  there 
were  only  the  two  to  claim  the  promise,  but  Miss 
Holbrook  was  always  there. 

"  During  the  glorious  revival  in  the  winter  she 
saw  her  faith  rewarded,  for  many  of  the  girls  were 
won  into  the  meetings,  and  not  only  the  Sabbath, 
but  the  every-day  prayer-meetings  became  an  estab- 
lished fact.  Not  only  was  her  steadfastness  of  pur- 
pose manifested  in  this,  but  in  her  society  she  proved 
herself  an  indefatigable  toiler.  The  young  ladies  of 
Wyoming  Seminary  who  to-day  enjoy  the  beautiful- 
ly furnished  room  of  the  Adelphian  Society,  do  not 
realize  how  many  of  her  recreation  hours  were  sacri- 
ficed to  obtain  the  time  to  labor  for  it ;  nor  did  her 
zeal  for  her  society  die  out  when  she  said  '  Good- 
bye '  to  her  school  life.  Her  letters  were  always  ask- 
ing, 'What  are  the  girls  doing  for  the  Adelphian?' 

"  I  think  hers  was  an  evenly-balanced  mind,  per- 
haps showing  a  little  more  aptness  for  belles-lettres 


302     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

and  languages ;  in  composition  she  was  particularly 
felicitous.  The  society  leaned  upon  her  for  its  best 
work,  and  on  public  occasions  the  audience  was  dis- 
appointed if  she  had  no  part.  Many  speak  of  her 
anniversary  effort,  *  Tarrying  in  the  Vestibule,'  as  a 
production  of  exceeding  merit ;  yet  she  was  unsat- 
isfied with  it,  fearing  her  father  would  be  disap- 
pointed. Only  a  few  knew  the  hard  struggle  she 
had  to  undergo  while  obtaining  her  education.  It 
was  no  flowery  path  of  knowledge  she  was  travel- 
ing, but  the  sharp  thorns  of  sacrifice  and  toil  were 
in  every  step  of  the  way. 

"  After  her  graduation,  through  the  kindness  of 
Dr.  Nelson,  her  beloved  teacher  and  willing  coun- 
selor, she  secured  a  position  as  teacher.  There  were 
no  idle  vacations  in  her  life,  and  she  must  not  tarry 
for  rest.  She  soon  left  this  field  of  teaching  to  take 
the  important  position  of  preceptress  at  Ingleside, 
near  Baltimore.  This  position  was  also  obtained 
for  her  by  Dr.  Nelson,  and  she  proved  herself  wor- 
thy the  important  trust,  being  loved  and  esteemed 
by  her  Southern  girls.  I  have  no  doubt  a  nobler 
womanhood  has  been  built  up  through  the  inspira- 
tion of  her  daily  example.  After  leaving  Ingleside 
she  spent  her  last  year  in  teaching  near  Baltimore, 
and  it  was  from  this  place  that  she  first  unburdened 
her  heart  to  me  on  the  subject  of  foreign  missionary 
work.  She  says:  *I  have  long  felt  a  desire  to  be  a 
missionary  teacher.  In  my  early  years  I  used  to 
think  much  upon  the  subject,  but  the  door  has  al- 
ways seemed  closed  until  now.  My  sisters  have 
now  received  their  education,  and  I  feel  I  am  free 


Mary  A.  Holbrook.  303 

to  go;  but  what  am  I  to  do?  I  do  not  feel  that  I 
am  sufficiently  consecrated  to  do  the  work  of  a  mis- 
sionary; can  I  not  secure  a  place  as  teacher?  and 
to  whom  shall  I  look  for  assistance  ? ' 

"  Though  silence  was  imposed  upon  me,  you 
know,  Mrs.  Wheeler,  that  I  brought  the  case  before 
you  for  your  larger  experience  in  missionary  mat- 
ters, and  I  feel  that  it  is  greatly  due  to  your  exer- 
tion that  my  once  student-girl  and  now  dear  friend, 
Miss  Holbrook,  is  a  worker  in  Japan. 

"  The  letters  lately  received  from  her  are  full  of 
enthusiasm  for  her  work,  though  she  realizes  the 
barrier,  in  the  strange  language,  between  her  pupils 
and  herself,  and  prays  for  patience  while  she  is  ac- 
quiring. I  believe  she  brings  to  her  work  a  strong 
faith,  a  cheerful  hope,  a  consecrated  love,  and  a 
sanctified  zeal,  that  will,  in  time,  win  souls  for  the 
Master.  Her  seminary  life  was  but  the  *  vestibule ' 
to  the  great  active  world  that  was  calling  to  her  for 
assistance ;  and  her  missionary  life,  that  she  is  en- 
deavoring to  fill  up  with  holy  toiling,  is  but  the 
vestibule  to  that  heavenly  life  in  the  Beyond.  May 
she  tarry  long  in  this  vestibule,  and  labor  until  she 
hears  a  voice  from  the  excellent  glory  of  the  inner 
temple  saying,  '  Enter  into  my  rest ;  thou  hast  fin- 
ished the  work  that  I  gave  thee  to  do.' " 

With  regard  to  her  conversion  and  Christian  ex- 
perience her  father  says:  "Mary  was  almost  a 
Christian  at  home,  but  became  decided  when  she 
went  to  the  seminary.  She  united  with  the  Church, 
and  I  heard  of  her  activity  in  Christian  work." 

Speaking  of  herself,  she  says :  "  My  life  has  been 


304    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

quite  uneventful  thus  far.  I  have  been  happy  in 
teaching,  happy  in  helping  the  younger  members 
of  my  family ;  but  my  influence  has  told  but  little 
outside  of  a  narrow  circle.  I  have  never  had  the 
positive  revelations  of  duty  some  people  have,  nor 
the  glowing  experiences  others  seem  to  enjoy;  but 
I  do  find  now  a  settled  peace,  a  quiet  satisfaction  in 
God's  service,  and  I  am  coming  to  feel  more  and 
more  that  I  can  adopt  the  language  of  the  hymn, 
'  Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  I  want.'  I  cannot  tell  when 
I  was  converted.  I  commenced  the  life  of  a  pro- 
fessing Christian  while  at  the  seminary,  and  was 
greatly  helped  by  the  blessed  influences  there  ;  but, 
if  I  know  my  heart  at  all,  I  was  not  converted  until 
long  after.  With  me  the  work  of  conversion  has 
been  the  work  of  years.  It  has  been  a  gradual 
growth."  The  illuminating  rays  of  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  dawned  upon  her  young  heart  as  the 
morning;  almost  imperceptible  at  first,  but  gradu- 
ally shining  more*and  more  unto  the  perfect  day. 

At  the  ninth  session  of  the  General  Executive 
Committee,  convened  in  Boston,  May,  1878,  she  was 
formally  accepted,  and  appointed  to  Tokio,  Japan. 
She  received  the  appointment  with  pleasure,  and  at 
once  set  about  making  preparations  for  the  journey. 
A  farewell  missionary  meeting  was  held  on  Dimock 
Camp  Ground,  Susquehanna  County,  Pennsylvania, 
September  3,  and  one  of  great  interest  was  also  held 
by  the  faculty  and  students  of  Wyoming  Seminary. 
After  an  eloquent  address  by  Dr.  Copeland,  Presi- 
dent of  the  institution,  Miss  Holbrook  spoke  briefly 
but  impressively.     As  she  reached  the  conclusion, 


Mary  A.  Holbrook.  305 

and  repeated  with  tearful  and  uplifted  eyes  the 
following  lines  of  consecration,  the  audience  were 
deeply  nnoved : 

"  O  God,  I  would  not  dare  to  offer  thee 
Gifts  which  have  nothing  cost  to  me, 
But,  looking  deep  into  my  heart, 
Wliatever  treasure  I  would  strive  to  keep, 
Whatever  talent  I  have  hidden  deep. 
These,  these  to  thee  I  bring. 

"  I  would  not  dare  to  come  to  thee, 

All  worldly  prospects  blighted. 
And  lay  upon  the  altar  of  the  Cnicified 

A  life  the  world  had  slighted  ; 
But  in  life's  dewy  hours, 

"With  bright  hopes  on  the  wing, 
My  life,  my  love,  my  all, 

To  thee  I  bring." 

She  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  October  i,  1878. 
Her  work  in  Japan  thus  far  has  been  eminently- 
successful  in  every  respect,  and  her  friends  have 
more  than  realized  their  fondest  hopes  with  regard 
to  her. 

The  following  is  from  the  pen  of  Miss  T.  A. 
Spencer,  of  Japan  : 

"  Miss  Mary  J.  Holbrook,  my  companion  in  travel, 
and  sharer  of  my  joys  and  sorrows,  is  a  sweet  girl, 
rather  petite,  with  fair  skin,  large  blue  eyes,  and 
light  hair.  Together  we  are  threading  the  intricate 
mazes  of  this  very  difficult  Japanese  language,  day 
by  day  comparing  notes  and  condoling  with  each 
other  that  our  progress  is  so  slow.  She  is  wonder- 
fully persevering,  is  very  gifted  with  her  pen,  is  a 
great  favorite  with  the  scholars,  and,  if  she  can  be 


306   WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

toned  into  willingness  to  study  in  moderation,  will 
be  a  brilliant  success.  I  am  so  thankful  to  the 
dear  heavenly  Father  that  we  were  allowed  to  come 
here  together,  to  labor  side  by  side  in  the  interests 
of  the  cause  we  love.  You  will  pray,  dear  sisters, 
will  you  not,  that  our  years  of  service  here  in  Japan 
may  be  crowned  with  success  ;  that  we  may  be  the 
instruments,  in  God's  hands,  of  persuading  many 
precious  souls  to  turn  from  darkness  to  light  ?  " 


Eugenia  Gibson.  307 


EUGENIA  GIBSON. 

EUGENIA  GIBSON  is  the  daughtei  of  Rev. 
David  Gibson,  of  the  New  York  Conference. 
She  pursued  her  studies  in  the  schools  located  in 
the  different  towns  and  villages  where  her  father 
was  appointed  pastor.  Afterward  she  entered  a 
school  in  Albany,  also  the  State  Normal  School  in 
that  city,  from  which  she  graduated.  She  was  con- 
verted very  early  in  life,  and  is  an  earnest,  devout 
Christian.  The  story  of  her  call  to  missionary  work 
was  related  in  a  forcible  manner  by  herself  at  the 
"  farewell  meeting  "  held  in  New  York,  November 
7,  1878. 

A  telegram  was  read  by  Dr.  Newman  from  Trin- 
ity Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-school,  Albany, 
New  York,  through  its  superintendent,  Mr.  Kelly, 
as  follows  :  "  Trinity  Sunday-school  sends  greeting 
and  good-bye  to  Miss  Eugenia  Gibson.  Num.  vi, 
24-26 :  '  The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee :  the 
Lord  make  his  face  shine  upon  thee,  and  be  gra- 
cious unto  thee :  the  Lord  lift  up  his  countenance 
upon  thee,  and  give  thee  peace.*  " 

Dr.  Newman  then  introduced  Miss  Gibson,  who 
said  she  came  to  speak  "  only  a  few  words  of  expe- 
rience." But  what  a  precious  experience  !  Many 
a  Christian  who  has  traveled  much  farther  in  the 
Christian  path  has  failed  to  gather  half  as  many 


308     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

sweet  and  precious  things  as  she  has  found  in  her 
short  but  intimate  walk  with  the  Lord  Jesus.     She 
said  all  her  life,  since  she  gave  herself  to  God,  she 
had  desired  to  be  a  missionary,  but  she  had  found 
her  joy  in  doing  the  little  things  next  to  her.     In 
listening   to  an  address  by  Miss  Sparkes,  about  a 
year  ago,  she  felt  the  time  had  come  for  her  to  offer 
herself  for  foreign  work.     She  placed  her  letters  in 
the  hands  of  the  General  Executive  Committee  at 
Boston,  feeling  that  in  so  doing  she  was  committing 
her  way  to  the  Lord.     When  the  news  came  that 
she  was  accepted,  and  would  go  this  year  to  India, 
her  whole  heart  went  out  in  a  song  of  thanksgiving 
to  God.     Then  followed  a  deep  sense  of  responsi- 
bility  and  questioning  as  to  her  fitness  to  meet  the 
great  demands  of  missionary  life.     First   came  the 
thought  as  to  physical  strength,  "  Have  I  sufficient 
to  meet  the  trial  of  climate  ?  "     And  with  peculiar 
emphasis  this  promise  was  breathed  into  her  soul, 
"  My  God  shall  supply  all  your  need."     Then  came 
the  question,  "  Have  I  mental  power  to  acquire  a 
difficult  language  ?  shall  I  not  fail  here  ?  "  and  swift 
the  answer  of  the  Spirit  came,  "  My  God  shall  sup- 
ply all  your  need."     Higher  and  deeper  and  beyond 
all   other  needs    came    the    thought    of   spiritual 
strength,  and  again   the  questioning  heart  asked, 
"  Have  I  sufficient  spiritual  power  to  win  those  to 
whom  I  am  sent,  to  my  Saviour?"  and  with  three- 
fold meaning  and  closer  personal  application  came 
the  blessed  promise,  "  exceeding  broad,"  "  My  God 
shall  supply  all  your  need."     Not  according  to  the 
sense  of  need,  nor  according  to  the  human  concep- 


Eugenia  Gibson.  309 

tion  of  how  that  need  could  be  supplied,  but  "  ac- 
cording to  his  riches  in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus." 
No  one  who  heard  this  testimony,  and  looked  into 
the  youthful  face  of  the  speaker,  will  ever  forget  the 
spiritual  impressions  of  the  hour.  Miss  Gibson 
closed  by  saying,  it  was  a  great  comfort  to  believe 
that  she  had  not  chosen  this  responsible  work,  but 
God  had  chosen  it  for  her,  and  she  went  to  it  trust- 
ing in  his  immutable  promise,  which  cannot  fail. 

The  following,  written  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Fowler,  D.D., 
we  take  from  the  "  Christian  Advocate."  After 
speaking  of  the  general  meeting  and  the  other  out- 
going missionaries,  he  says  : 

"  The  marked  feature  of  the  evening  was  the  ex- 
perience of  Miss  Gibson,  daughter  of  Rev.  Brother 
Gibson,  of  the  New  York  Conference.  She  is  a  lady, 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  with  a  peculiarly  attractive 
face.  Nature,  culture,  and  grace  have  combined  to 
do  a  perfect  work.  Her  narration  of  the  steps  by 
which  she  came  to  this  great  work  were  simple, 
compact,  classical,  sublime.  She  stood  before  us 
beautiful,  radiant,  inspired  ;  and  as  she  told  the 
wonderful  dealings  of  God  with  her,  from  the  ear- 
liest longings  of  her  childhood  for  this  mission  work 
up  through  her  conversion  and  call,  and  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  way  for  her  departure,  she  seemed  the 
only  calm  one  in  the  great  audience.  When  the 
Church  can  bring  such  offerings  as  these  for  the  re- 
demption of  India,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  what 
she  thinks  of  the  work.  These  women  in  India  will 
show  to  that  sorrowing  land  of  sorrowing  women 
what  sort  of  women  Christianity  can  produce,  and 


310    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

what  Christianity  will  do  for  them.  Angels  from 
heaven  could  not  serve  the  cause  more  efficiently. 

"  While  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
sends  out  such  representatives,  and  can  convene 
such  audiences  to  bestow  their  benediction  upon  the 
messengers,  there  will  be  no  need  of  other  defense." 

Miss  Gibson  was  appointed  to  Lucknow,  India. 


Maggie  Ellison  Layton.  3 1 1 


MA<;G1E  ELLISON  LAYTON. 

TV  /T  AGGIE  E.  LAYTON,  who  was  appointed 
•^^-A  to  the  English  work  in  Calcutta,  India,  was 
born  in  Newcastle  County,  Delaware.  She  was 
educated  in  the  Bordentown  Female  College.  She 
graduated,  at  the  end  of  a  three  years'  course,  with 
the  highest  honors,  being  the  valedictorian  of  her 
class.  She  afterward  taught  in  the  same  institution, 
and  still  later  in  the  Wesleyan  Female  College, 
Wilmington,  Delaware. 

She  was  converted  in  her  early  youth,  while  in 
attendance  at  the  Bordentown  College.  Her  con- 
viction for  sin  was  deep,  and  her  conversion  clear 
and  marked.  Referring  to  it  she  says  :  "  Never, 
until  reason  forsakes  her  throne,  will  that  memor- 
able night  be  forgotten.  It  was  a  beautiful  Sabbath 
evening,  and  while  the  worshipers  of  Jehovah  had 
repaired  to  his  holy  temple  to  offer  their  accustomed 
oblations,  I,  in  the  bitterness  of  my  heart,  was 
deeply  mourning  my  sinful  nature.  So  long  had 
the  conflict  continued,  and  so  great  had  become  my 
distress,  that  the  evil  one  seemed  about  to  gain  the 
victory,  when  Omnipotent  power  interposed  and 
saved  a  soul  from  ruin.  So  easily  was  the  weight 
removed  I  was  almost  unconscious  of  the  change. 
All  was  joy  and  peace,  and  I  could  only  praise  and 

adore  the  blessed  Redeemer,  who  had  heard  the  cry 
20 


312   WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

of  one  of  his  most  unworthy  creatures.  And  in  the 
stillness  of  that  hour  I  promised  to  devote  myself 
to  the  service  of  God  the  remainder  of  my  life." 

From  this  time  her  all-absorbing  desire  seemed  to 
be  to  lead  other  youths  who  came  within  the  sphere 
of  her  influence  into  the  same  blessed  relationship 
with  Christ.  She  exerted  a  wonderful  influence 
among  the  students  in  the  institution,  many  of 
whom  she  led  to  the  Saviour.  Not  only  in  college, 
but  in  the  Church  and  Sabbath-school,  she  was 
fruitful  in  good  works,  actively  engaged  in  instilling 
into  youthful  minds  the  pure  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

From  the  time  of  her  conversion  she  was  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  the  missionary  spirit,  and  in 
the  first  letter  written  to  her  sister  after  her  con- 
version, she  speaks  of  her  determination  to  follow 
Christ,  even  though  he  leads  her  into  foreign  lands. 
Soon  after  this  she  wrote  again  :  "  This  has  been  a 
week  of  great  peace  and  comfort.  Have  conse- 
crated myself  entirely  to  God.  Recently,  while 
reading  the  lives  of  the  fallen  missionaries  of 
China,  my  whole  soul  went  out  after  the  heathen," 

The  circumstances  connected  with  her  going  to 
India  she  has  told  so  pleasantly,  that  we  give  the 
account  to  our  readers  in  her  own  words : 

"  My  Dear  Miss  Hart  :  Although  personally 
unknown  to  the  ladies  of  the  Baltimore  Branch  of 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  your 
warm  letter  of  welcome  in  admitting  me  to  their 
charge,  and  the  short  but  memorable  interview  with 


Maggk  Ellison  Lay  ton.  313 

you  at  Wilmington,  have  entirely  taken  away  the 
feeling  of  being  a  stranger.  Then,  too,  we  have 
common  interests,  as  co-workers  in  establishing  the 
Master's  kingdom  upon  the  earth. 

"  Before  beginning  that  journey  which  takes  me 
to  far-away  India — the  land  that  has  cost  so  much 
of  life  and  suffering  in  the  past,  yet  promises  so 
much  for  God  in  the  future — I  feel  very  desirous  of 
sending  a  word  of  greeting  to  these  new-found 
friends,  and  pleading  for  their  prayers,  that  the  good 
work  already  begun  among  the  English  people  may 
be  ably  sustained  and  greatly  advanced  by  the 
teacher  whom  they  are  sending. 

"  Dear  Christian  sisters,  I  go  to  the  same  work, 
but  in  a  new  field,  and  bear  away  the  same  spirit 
that  came  to  me  when  the  grace  of  God  first  took 
hold  of  my  heart  and  life.  Every  one  of  the  six- 
teen years  spent  in  teaching  has  been  one  of  pre- 
cious privilege  in  training  young  ladies  for  holy  liv- 
ing. I  do  not  go  to  India  with  any  different  feel- 
ing, excepting  that  which  the  greater  responsibility 
of  being  in  a  strange  land  brings.  I  was  so  fully 
committed  to  the  home  work  that,  when  Mrs.  Keen 
asked  me  to  consider  the  call  for  teachers  in  Cal- 
cutta, I  was  slow  to  perceive  it  was  a  call  to  me ; 
but  when  the  discipline  of  the  past  two  years  came 
before  me,  the  light  began  to  dawn.  More  than 
two  years  since  I  was  laid  aside  from  school  duties 
by  overwork.  While  resting,  my  mind  was  drawn 
to  a  closer  study  of  .the  Bible,  and  to  the  reading 
of  missionary  labor  in  foreign  lands,  particularly  in. 
India,  among  the  natives.     My  spirit  was  so  con- 


314    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIEtV. 

stantly  stirred  by  this  reading,  and  my  desire  to  do 
more  for  God  than  I  had  ever  done  became  so  in- 
tense, that  the  conviction  forced  itself  upon  me, 
Perhaps  the  Lord  is  going  to  use  me  for  some  pe- 
cuHar  work.  Unusual  church  work,  which  came  in 
various  forms,  tended  to  increase  this  conviction. 
Being  sent  to  the  Philadelphia  Branch  as  a  delegate 
from  Columbia,  Pennsylvania,  I  went  to  Harrisburgh, 
praying  most  earnestly  that  the  Lord  would  there 
reveal  his  will  to  me.  Then  it  was  that  Mrs.  Keen 
spoke  to  me  of  teaching  in  Calcutta.  Since  that 
time  the  all-wise  Father  has  led  me  so  gently  and 
patiently  to  a  decision  in  this  matter  that  my  heart 
is  full  of  gratitude  for  his  forbearance  in  my  lack  of 
faith.  My  struggles  have  not  been  so  much  to  give 
up  home  and  friends,  and  to  prepare  for  self-sacri- 
fice among  strangers,  as  to  believe  these  leadings 
of  Providence  to  be  a  call  to  India.  I  have  at  last 
come  to  such  a  spirit  of  trust  that  fears  and  doubts 
have  passed  away,  and  I  am  making  preparations 
for  my  departure,  feeling  it  the  highest  privilege  of 
my  life  to  carry  the  old  work  into  this  new  part  of 
the  vineyard. 

"  I  cannot  doubt  that  you,  who  have  so  readily 
given  your  means  to  send  the  laborer,  will  follow 
her  with  your  prayers  and  sympathies.^  While  you 
are  sowing  the  good  seed,  supported  by  the  pres- 
ence and  counsel  of  friends,  you  will  remember  the 
difficulties  of  doing  this  among  strangers,  where  so 
much  that  is  new  must  first  become  familiar  to  in- 
sure success. 

"  I  shall  take  pleasure  in  sending  you  word  from 


Maggie  Ellison  Lay  ton.  315 

time  to  time,  respecting  the  progress  of  the  school, 
and  now  say  farewell,  confident  that  the  blessing  of 
the  Lord  will  rest  upon  every  effort  you  make  for 
the  good  of  humanity. 

"  Yours  in  Christian  fellowship, 

"  M.  E.  Layton." 

A  "  farewell  "  meeting  of  great  interest  was  held 
in  Columbia,  Pa.,  (Miss  Layton's  late  home,)  July 
28,  1878.  After  the  opening  exercises.  Miss  Lay- 
ton  made  a  beautiful  and  effective  address.  The 
crowded  house,  the  close  attention  of  the  auditors, 
and  the  many  moist  eyes,  all  told  of  the  high  es- 
timation in  which  the  out-going  missionary  was 
held. 

Miss  Layton  has  for  a  long  time  been  associated 
with  the  Church  in  this  place,  and  has  been  one  of 
its  most  faithful  laborers. 

She  possesses,  in  an  eminent  degree,  all  the  ele- 
ments of  a  successful  missionary.  With  her  rare 
intelligence,  culture,  and  piety,  her  untiring  energy 
and  love  for  souls,  she  cannot  fail  in  accomplishing 
much  for  the  cause  of  missions  in  India. 


3l6    WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 


MARY  ADELAIDE  PRIEST. 

MARY  A.  PRIEST  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Auburn,  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  February 
3,  1854.  While  she  was  young  her  parents  moved 
to  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  where,  among 
the  hills,  in  the  beautiful  village  of  Bath,  Steuben 
County,  she  spent  a  happy  childhood.  She  was 
early  taught  to  pray,  and  was  trained  up  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  by  a  devoted  Chris- 
tian mother. 

When  a  little  girl,  she  saw  in  her  pastor's  Cabinet 
an  idol  that  had  been  presented  to  him  by  a  rela- 
tive who  was  a  missionary  in  some  heathen  land. 
It  made  a  deep  impression  on  her  young  heart. 
Referring  to  this  she  says :  "  I  shall  never  forget 
my  feelings  on  seeing  the  hideous  image,  and  being 
told  that  there  were  people  who  knew  no  other 
god  than  such  as  this.  My  heart  yearned  over 
them,  and  I  then  resolved  to  be  a  missionary." 

She  says :  "  I  thought  myself  a  Christian  until 
I  was  twelve  years  of  age.  I  was  very  conscien- 
tious; I  prayed  much,  but  sinned  so  frequently 
that  I  became  discouraged,  and  began  to  realize 
that  I  was  trying  to  serve  God  with  the  natural 
heart;  that  I  needed  to  be  converted,  and  to  have 
a  more  definite  religious  experience  before  I  could 
be  a  successful  missionary." 


Mary  A delaide  Priest.  317 

Accordingly,  when  the  invitation  was  given  by 
her  pastor  for  those  desiring  salvation  to  present 
themselves  at  the  altar  she  came,  and  earnestly 
sought  the  pardon  of  her  sins,  but  did  not  receive 
peace.  She  became  disheartened,  because,  though 
she  was  persistent  in  her  efforts  to  obtain  the  favor 
of  God,  she  did  not  receive  a  word  of  encouragement 
from  pastor  or  Church  member.  They  doubtless 
thought  her  too  young  to  understand  the  matter. 

Conclading  that  she  must  wait  until  she  was 
older,  she  deferred  the  further  seeking  of  salvation 
until  she  reached  her  eighteenth  year,  when,  in 
answer  to  prayer,  the  Holy  Spirit 

Assured  her  conscience  of  her  part 

In  the  Redeemer's  blood, 
And  bore  the  witness  with  her  heart 

That  she  was  born  of  God. 

Some  years  after  her  conversion  she  became  con- 
vinced that  it  was  her  privilege  to  abide  in  Christ 
more  fully — to  be  saved  from  inbred  sin.  She  sought 
earnestly,  for  a  pure  heart.  The  cleansing  blood 
was  applied,  and  she  was  saved  to  the  uttermost, 
and  was  thus  better  prepared  to  tell  the  story  of 
redemption  to  those  afar  off. 

She  was  always  eager  for  missionary  intelligence, 
and  used  to  steal  away  alone  to  read,  lest  her  friends 
should  suspect  how  deeply  she  was  interested.  Re- 
turning with  her  parents  to  her  native  city,  she  en- 
tered the  High  School,  from  which  she  graduated 
in  1875. 

In  reference  to  the  missionary  work  she  says  :  "  I 


3l8     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

was  a  member  of  the  Wall-street  Auxiliary  of  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  and  held  the 
office  of  Secretary  till  I  left  home  for  Japan.  I 
coveted  the  privilege  of  going  to  a  foreign  field  to 
labor.  In  August,  1877,  while  attending  a  camp- 
meeting  at  Auburndale,  I  heard  Miss  Fannie  Sparkes 
deliver  an  address.  She  was  fresh  from  her  chosen 
field  in  India.  Mrs.  Lore,  our  Conference  Secre- 
tary, introduced  me  to  her,  saying  that  she  thought 
I  would  be  a  missionary  some  time.  I  was  surprised 
at  that  statement,  for  she  was  only  slightly  ac- 
quainted with  me  at  that  time.  I  had  been  ex- 
tremely careful  that  none  should  know  how  I  felt 
with  regard  to  the  subject ;  only  told  my  heavenly 
Father  that  I  would  gladly  go  if  he  would  give  me 
the  fitness  ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  must  have 
revealed  it  to  Mrs.  Lore,"  Soon  after  this  Miss 
Priest  received  her  appointment  as  missionary  to 
Japan. 

Mrs.  D.  E.  Green,  wife  of  her  former  pastot 
writes  us  :  "  She  was  a  missionary  at  home,  in  the 
Church,  and  every-where  seemed  ever  possessed 
with  a  consuming  desire  to  save  souls.  She  started 
a  meeting  at  the  Church  for  young  people,  com- 
mencing with  eight.  It  increased  in  interest 
until  the  class-room  was  too  small,  and  they  went 
into  a  larger  room  ;  and  many  have  been  converted 
in  these  meetings,  now  carried  on  by  the  boys  she 
led  to  Jesus.  Her  home-life  was  always  beautiful. 
Her  mother  says  :  "  It  seems  to  me  she  was  always 
a  Christian.  She  prayed  from  her  cradle,  and  as  a 
child  bad  the  grace  of  God." 


Mary  Adelaide  Priest.  3x9 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  wjth  her  for  a  few 
days  before  her  departure  last  fall,  and  I  noticed 
such  a  quiet  exultation  in  the  prospect  of  her  being 
on  the  threshold  of  her  coveted  work.  I  wish  you 
could  have  seen  her  as  she  went  from  one  to  an- 
other of  the  many  friends  who  had  assembled  at  the 
depot  to  see  her  off.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
mother's  look  as  her  trunks  were  taken  out  of  the 
house.  It  meant  something  to  give  that  beautiful 
daughter  to  Japan  !  In  a  letter  received  from  her 
mother  a  short  time  since  she  says  :  '  I  have  given 
Mary  to  *the  Lord,  to  the  Church,  to  Japan,  and 
God  only  knows  what  it  has  cost  me.  It  has  been 
the  struggle  of  my  soul  for  years.'  " 

Miss  Priest  sailed  from  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Octo- 
ber I,  1878.  From  the  steamer  she  writes  :  "  Yester- 
day we  went  on  board  our  steamer.  City  of  Peking. 
We  expect  a  safe  and  pleasant  voyage.  Our  Father 
will  take  care  of  his  children  and  his  freight,  I  think ; 
though  it  does  not  matter  much  whether  I  land  at 
the  city  of  Yokohama  or  the  City  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem— whether  I  reach  my  home  with  Mrs.  Harris 
or  my  home  in  the  palace  of  the  King." 

After  reaching  her  destination  and  entering  upon 
her  work,  she  says  :  "  My  work  here  is,  of  necessity, 
only  preparatoiy  at  present,  but  I  am  contented  and 
happy  in  it." 


320     \YOMAXS  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


CLARA  LOUISA  MULLINER. 

CLARA  L.  MULLINER  was  born  in  the  city 
of  Camden,  New  Jersey,  October  29,  1855. 
She  received  a  liberal  education,  first  attending 
school  in  Camden  and  afterward  in  Philadelphia. 
After  completing  her  education  she  taught  in  the 
public  schools  in  her  native  city.  She  was  con- 
verted when  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  and 
united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  she  has  ever  been  an  active  and  influential 
member. 

With  a  heart  full  of  love  to  Christ  and  sympathy 
for  souls,  she  yearned  for  the  redemption  of  the 
whole  world  ;  and  as  often  as  she  prayed,  "  Thy 
kingdom  come,"  she  felt  a  great  desire  to  do  what 
she  could  to  advance  the  interests  of  this  kingdom, 
until 

"  Jesus  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run  ; 
His  kingdom  spread  from  shore  to  shore, 
Till  moons  shall  wax  and  wane  no  more." 

For  years  she  entertained  a  desire  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary, and  in  the  spring  of  1878  she  offered  her 
services  to  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 
She  was  accepted  and  sent  to  the  city  of  Mexico. 
She  sailed  from  New  York  for  Mexico,  October  19, 
1878,  reaching  her  destination  in  thirteen  days. 


Clara  Louisa  Mulliner.  321 

Her  work  in  the  Girls*  Orphanage  has  been  ardu- 
ous, but  each  day  has  found  her  at  her  post,  labor- 
ing faithfully  and  efficiently;  and  already  she  is 
winning  the  hearts  of  the  waifs  who  have  there 
found  refuge.  Miss  Mulliner  is  full  of  faith  and 
hope  for  the  future,  and  promises  much  for  the  So- 
ciety, the  Church,  and  the  world. 


322      WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


CLARA  M.  CUSHMAN. 

CLARA  M.  CUSHMAN  is  the  daughter  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Cushman,  formerly  of  the  New  Hampshire, 
and  now  of  the  Texas,  Conference.  She  was  born 
in  Walden,  Vermont,  May  23,  185 1.  In  her  early 
childhood  she  was  noted  for  her  conscientiousness 
and  loveliness  of  disposition  and  character.  When 
only  nine  years  of  age  she  sought  and  obtained  the 
forgiveness  of  her  sins,  and  was  consciously  saved 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  All  her  life  has 
been  characterized  by  purity,  virtue,  integrity,  and 
devotion  to  Christ,  as  she  has  followed  the  injunc- 
tion, "  Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things 
are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever 
things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  what- 
soever things  are  of  good  report ;  if  there  be  any 
virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these 
things."  She  was  fond  of  study,  and  graduated 
with  honor  from  the  New  Hampshire  Conference 
Seminary  and  the  Female  College  in  Tilton.  In 
1878  she  was  appointed  to  Peking,  China. 

Miss  Cushman  has  been  very  successful  in  her 
work.  Miss  Porter  writes  :  "  You  could  not  wish 
any  thing  better  for  me  than  to  have  Miss  Cush- 
man as  an  assistant  in  school  and  home  work. 
She  is  tall,  bright,  and  affectionate.  I  cannot  feel 
that  she  is  a  stranger  ;  she  seems  like  a  dear  friend 
whom  I  have  known  for  a  long  time." 


Mary  A.  Sharp.  323 


MARY  A.  SHARP. 

MARY  A.  SHARP,  our  first  representative  to 
Africa,  was  sent  out  by  the  Parent  Society, 
April,  1879,  ^""^  w^s  soon  after  transferred  to  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  She  has  for 
many  years  been  actively  engaged  in  missionary 
work  among  the  freedmen  of  John's  Island,  and  is 
in  deep  sympathy  with  the  oppressed  and  benighted 
sons  and  daughters  of  Africa. 

Miss  Sharp  has  a  deep  religious  experience,  mak- 
ing no  compromise  with  sin  in  any  form.  She  not 
only  believes  that  God  has  power  on  earth  to  for- 
give sins,  but  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.  Plain  and  unpretending 
in  her  appearance,  she  possesses,  nevertheless,  a 
brilliant  mind,  well-stored  with  valuable  informa- 
tion. She  has  broad  views,  and  looks  out  over  the 
world,  and  watches  with  peculiar  interest  the  events 
that  are  transpiring  among  the  nations,  considering 
their  probable  relation  with  regard  to  the  coming 
of  Christ's  kingdom. 

She  is  full  of  life  and  energy,  witty  and  eloquent. 
We  have  heard  her  represent  the  cause  of  the 
freedmen  at  camp-meeting  and  conference  occa- 
sions, when  the  entire  audience  seemed  thrilled  by 
her  words,  and  would  not  be  restrained  from  giving 
their  offerings  for  the  promotion  of  the  cause, 
though  no  collection  was  asked. 


324    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Bishop  Gilbert  Haven,  who  was  the  chief  instru- 
ment in  sending  her  to  Africa,  was  a  firm  friend. 
He  regarded  her  as  a  most  remarkable  woman. 
We  heard  him  say  on  one  occasion :  "  Second  to 
none  in  ability  to  organize  and  carry  on  mission 
work  successfully — not  even  Ann  Wilkins." 

Upon  leaving  New  York  Miss  Sharp  received 
from  the  hands  of  a  lady  friend  a  beautiful  bouquet 
of  flowers,  which  she  preserved  during  the  voyage. 
Shortly  after  reaching  Monrovia,  on  a  set  day  she 
proceeded  to  the  Mission  Cemetery,  and  had  the 
graves  of  the  heroic  missionaries  sleeping  there 
cleaned  of  weeds  and  grass,  and  mounded  up  anew, 
after  which  she  planted  upon  them  the  flowers  she 
had  taken  with  such  care  from  America.  Thou- 
sands of  hearts  will  thank  her  for  this  beautiful 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  heroic  and  sainted 
missionaries,  who  died  at  their  posts,  victims  to  the 
malarial  poison  peculiar  to  that  climate. 

Miss  Sharp  has  been  in  good  health  since  her  ar- 
rival, and  is  busily  at  work  among  the  people  of 
Liberia.  We  are  glad  that  our  Society  is  ready  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  those  that  are  in  Africa  also  ; 
and  that  the  people  of  that  land,  so  long  in  dark- 
ness, are  now  "  rising  to  greet  the  light  of  Bethle- 
hem's Star." 


Tenth  Annual  Meeting.  325 


TENTH  ANNUAL  MEETING. 

THE  tenth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  General  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  convened  in  Centenary- 
Church,  Chicago,  May  23,  1879.  -^^  admirable  ad- 
dress of  welcome  was  delivered  by  Mrs.  I.  N.  Dan- 
forth,  to  which  Mrs.  Alderman,  of  the  New  En- 
gland Branch,  replied  in  fitting  words.  Mrs.  Dr. 
Steele  was  chosen  President,  and  Mrs.  L.  H.  Dag- 
gett, Secretary.  One  change  in  corresponding  sec- 
retaries had  been  made  during  the  year,  and  Mrs. 
M.  P.  Alderman  appeared  as  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary of  the  New  England  Branch,  in  place  of  Mrs. 
Taplin,  who,  in  consequence  of  failing  health,  had 
tendered  her  resignation. 

The  reports  from  foreign  fields  were  highly  inter- 
esting and  encouraging.  Several  returned  mission- 
aries were  present — the  Misses  Woolston,  who  had 
spent  twenty  years  in  Foochow,  China ;  Miss  Ger- 
trude Howe,  recently  returned  from  Kiukiang ; 
and  Miss  Warner,  from  Mexico.  These  were  sim- 
ply on  furlough,  expecting  soon  to  return  to  their 
foreign  fields. 

Miss  M.  A.  Sharp,  who  was  sent  to  Africa  the  year 
previous  by  the  parent  Board,  was  transferred  to 
our  Society,  and  her  support  assumed  by  the  ladies. 
The  following  resolutions  were  passed  : 

"  Resolved,  That,  as  Miss  Sharp  is  doing  the  legitr 


326     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

imate  work  of  our  Society  in  Africa,  we  will  gladly 
undertake  her  support  if  the  parent  Board  is  will- 
ing. 

^'Resolved,  That  we  appropriate  $1,500  to  be  used 
for  work  in  Africa  when  there  is  an  opening  that 
meets  the  approval  of  the  parent  Board  and  the 
Committee  of  Reference." 

Memorial  services  were  held  for  the  missionaries 
who  had  recently  died  at  their  posts:  Miss  Camp- 
bell, of  China,  and  Mrs.  Cheney,  of  Nynee  Tal.  Also 
for  Mrs.  Dr.  Olin,  of  New  York,  late  President  of 
the  New  York  Branch. 

The  anniversary  exercises  were  highly  interest- 
ing. Miss  Gertrude  Howe  gave  some  of  her  ex- 
periences in  China,  and  Bishop  Peck  spoke  weighty 
and  kindly  words.  This  meeting  had  special  inter- 
est, from  the  fact  of  its  being  our  decennial  cele- 
bration ;  and  a  brief  history  of  the  decade  by  Mrs. 
Cowen,  of  the  Cincinnati  Branch,  was  read,  from 
which  we  make  the  following  comprehensive  and 
beautiful  extract : 

"  Ten  years  have  passed  since  the  first  organiza- 
tion of  the  Society,  and  what  is  the  result  ?  To-day 
it  numbers  over  two  thousand  auxiliary  societies, 
and  has  more  than  fifty  thousand  members.  In  the 
costly  city  church,  in  the  settlement  on  the  frontier, 
in  town  and  in  country  places,  all  over  our  land,  we 
find  the  watch-fires  burning,  the  thoughtful,  praying 
women  enlisting  under  this  banner.  This  has  re- 
quired work,  courage,  and  faith,  and  the  '  good 
women  and  true,'  who  all  over  our  land  have  car- 
ried the  burdens  afid  borne  the  heat  of  the  day, 


Tenth  Annual  Meeting.  327 

have  not  toiled  for  naught,  neither  have  their  la- 
bors been  in  vain.  For  them  the  blessed  recogni- 
tion waits :  '  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one 
of  the  least  of  these,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me/ 
While  the  objective  point  of  this  '  woman's  work 
for  women'  has  been  the  conversion  of  their  heathen 
sisters,  the  reflex  influence  on  the  women  of  the 
Church  has  been  a  most  marked  and  blessed  one. 

"  This  being  a  co-worker  with  God  has  a  wonder- 
ful uplifting  power,  and  every  woman  bearing  this 
relation  has  felt  its  influence,  and  in  being  brought 
nearer  to  Christ  has  also  been  quickened  and  made 
a  more  earnest  worker  in  every  department  of  his 
vineyard.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Society  the 
amount  of  money  contributed  is  $514,850  54 — over 
half  a  million  of  dollars.  When  we  remember  that 
almost  all  of  this  comes  as  an  extra  offering,  with- 
drawing nothing  from  other  Church  enterprises,  we 
can  have  some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  field  in 
our  Church  hitherto  untilled. 

But  let  us  follow  our  contributions  across  the 
seas,  and  see  whether,  in  the  dark  night  of  hea- 
thenism, there  is  a  promise  of  the  coming  day. 
We  have  sent  to  the  foreign  field  forty-three  mis- 
sionaries :  twenty-five  are  actively  carrying  on  the 
work  under  our  Society,  six  have  transferred  their 
names  to  the  parent  Society,  but  are  still,  to  the 
best  of  their  ability,  carrying  forward  the  mis- 
sionary work  to  which  they  have  pledged  their 
lives.  Failing  health  compelled  the  return  of  three, 
and  six  are  at  home  for  a  season  of  rest,  expect- 
ing to  return  to  their  appointed  fields  during  the 
21 


328    WCiMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

coming  year.  Two  have  heard  the  Master's  voice, 
'  It  is  enough ;  come  up  higher :'  Miss  Campbell, 
of  Peking,  China,  and  Mrs.  Cheney,  of  Nynee  Tal, 
India.  The  first  shadow  of  death  has  fallen  on  our 
Society,  but  those  who  were  taken  from  us  in  the 
midst  of  usefulness  and  labors  for  the  Church  mili- 
tant have  joined  the  Church  triumphant,  where 
nhey  shall  see  his  face,  and  his  name  shall  be  on 
their  foreheads.' 

"  Nine  of  the  missionaries  sent  out  were  tried  ical 
graduates,  who  have  inaugurated  and  carried  on 
most  successfully  medical  work.  The  first  female 
medical  missionary  ever  sent  to  Asia  was  Miss 
Swain,  our  pioneer  in  that  field  ;  and  this  agency  is 
one  of  the  most  effective  for  reaching  the  women 
of  heathendom,  and  has  opened  new  doors  for  the 
entrance  of  the  light.  Even  caste  gives  way  before 
it.  Not  only  in  our  hospitals  and  dispensaries  has 
the  work  been  done,  but  large  classes  of  native 
women  have  been  taught  the  principles  of  medical 
science,  the  art  of  healing,  as  well  as  the  art  of 
nursing,  and  these  in  turn  are  teaching  and  helping 
others. 

"  One  hundred  and  forty  day-schools  are  sup- 
ported by  our  Society,  four  orphanages,  nine  board- 
ing-schools, and  one  hundred  and  fifty  native  teach- 
ers and  assistants.  Most  generously  has  the  mis- 
sionary spirit  been  shown,  as  well  as  faith  in  the  fu- 
ture history  of  our  Society,  by  the  answers  to  ap- 
peals for  school  buildings,  hospitals,  homes  for  our 
missionaries,  etc.  In  the  large  centers  of  our  mis- 
sion fields  we  find  them  every  year  increasing  in 


Tenth  Annual  Meeting.  329 

numbers  and  value,  and  showing  clearly  the  pur- 
pose to  go  in  and  possess  the  land  in  the  name  of 
our  King.  It  is  no  longer  necessary  to  coax  or  hire 
pupils  to  come  to  the  school ;  they  gladly  come, 
and  our  boarding-schools  have  not  Capacity  to  hold 
the  numbers  desiring  admittance.  In  addition  to 
this,  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  connection 
with  every  one  of  these  schools  there  is  a  Sunday- 
school,  where  the  Bible  is  taught  exclusively.  In 
some  places,  the  desire  for  such  teaching  being 
greater  than  the  supply  of  teachers,  it  has  been  nec- 
essary to  hold  a  Bible-school  on  Saturday  as  well 
as  on  the  Sabbath.  New  doors  are  opening,  more 
laborers  are  urgently  asked  for.  How  many  en- 
couragements have  been  ours !  Our  missionaries 
have  been  '  chosen  of  the  Lord,'  and  his  presence 
has  gone  with  them.  Our  schools  have  been  prom- 
ising, our  teachers  and  Bible-women  faithful  and  un- 
tiring. Little  children  have  been  cared  for  and 
taught  the  way  to  heaven.  From  our  hospitals 
have  gone  out  numbers  capable  of  healing  the  sick 
body  and  comforting  the  sick  soul,  besides  the  thou- 
sands who  owe  life  and  health  to  the  missionary 
physician.  As  our  boarding-schools  and  orphan- 
ages have  sent  out  trained  teachers  and  Bible-readers, 
their  places  in  the  schools  have  been  filled  with  new 
recruits,  who,  in  time,  will  go  forth  sowing  the 
same  seed.  Into  many  a  darkened  soul  a  great 
light  has  shone,  and  the  '  signs  of  promise  '  multi- 
ply on  every  hand  ;  and.  so  we  sum  up  the  whole 
matter.  Has  our  work  been  in  vain,  and  our  labor 
that  which  profiteth  not  ?     Shall  we  lay  down  our 


330  WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

sickles  when  the  fields  are  white  unto  the  harvest  ? 
Rest  in  inglorious  ease  when  victories  are  to  be  won 
for  our  King?  A  thousand  times,  No !  While  re- 
deemed souls  are  perishing  for  the  bread  of  eternal 
life,  our  mission  remains.  '  The  world  for  Christ ' 
is  our  watch- word,  and  victory  is  sure." 


Bishop  Andrews   Tribute.  331 


A  TRIBUTE   TO   THE  WOMAN'S   FOREIGN 
MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


BY  REV.   BISHOP  E.  G.  ANDREWS,  D.D. 


THE  following,  in  regard  to  the  importance  and 
necessity  of  the  organization  of  the  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  is  kindly  furnished  for  this  work  by 
Rev.  Bishop  Edward  G.  Andrews,  D.D.  Such  a 
high  estimate  oi  'C^o.  personnel  2SiA  efficiency  of  our 
noble  corps  of  missionaries,  formed  upon  the  spot 
after  personal  visitation  and  inspection,  by  so  dis- 
tinguished an  authority,  is  most  gratifying  to  the 
workers,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

"  Admirable  as  is  the  work  of  the  Woman's  For- 
eign Missionary  Society,  it  would  be  a  serious  in- 
justice to  speak  of  its  organization  as  the  beginning 
of  woman's  toil,  patience,  and  suffering  for  the  re- 
demption of  her  heathen  sisters.  On  the  contrary, 
many  missionary  societies  had  previously  commis- 
sioned women  to  their  foreign  fields.  The  names 
of  Mrs.  Wilkins  and  Miss  Farrington  are  memora- 
ble among  those  who  thus  laid  foundations  in  Africa. 
But  even  more  notable  is  the  spirit  with  which,  from 
the  beginning  of  modern  missions,  the  wives  of  mis- 
sionaries have  shared  the  labors  as  well  as  the  sacri- 
fices and  perils  of  their  husbands.     Every  continent 


332     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

and  island  has  witnessed  their  devotion,  skill,  and 
success.  The  first  Mrs.  Judson,  eminent  though 
she  was  in  the  morning  of  missionary  effort,  has  had 
her  peers  on  every  mission  field.  The  Church  has 
never  fully  known  the  value  of  these  unobtrusive 
workers. 

"  But  a  new  and  better  missionary  organization 
of  Christian  women  was  needed.  It  was  needed, 
first,  at  home,  and,  second,  abroad. 

"At  Home: 

I.  As  a  distinct  and  grateful  recognition,  by  Chris- 
tian women,  of  their  indebtedness  to  that  Redeemer 
by  whose  grace  they  differ  so  widely  from  their 
heathen  sisters,  both  in  worldly  condition  and  in 
eternal  hope.  2.  As  an  explicit  acknowledgment 
of  the  degree  in  which  religious  responsibility  had 
accrued  with  the  increase  of  intellectual  opportuni- 
ties, social  power,  and  Church  freedom.  3.  As  a 
means  of  enlisting  in  the  service  of  missions  the  wom- 
en of  the  Church  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  large  numerical 
majority  of  the  Church — the  best  possible  guaran- 
tee, under  God,  of  the  final  success  of  missions. 

'*  Abroad  : 

"  I.  Because  the  magnitude  of  the  work  in  every 
considerable  mission  field  far  overpassed  the  re- 
sources of  the  societies  already  in  occupancy. 
2.  Because  a  large  and  indispensable  part  of  the 
work  to  be  done  is  among  women  and  children ; 
and  for  this  work  women  alone  are  fitted,  both  by 
original  constitution,  and  by  the  peculiar  conditions 
of  domestic  life  which  exist  in  the  East,  the  great 
mission  field.  ^ 


Bishop  Andrews^  Tribute.  333 

"  How  perfectly  the  results  have  justified  the  new 
societies  their  annual  reports  fully  set  forth.  Prob- 
ably the  Church  never  before  saw  so  large  and  quick 
a  result  from  small  beginnings ;  and  if  Christian 
wisdom  and  zeal  shall  continue  to  guide  as  here- 
tofore, these  societies  will  bring  at  length  vast  re- 
enforcements  to  the  feeble  missionar}'-  bands  that 
struggle  against  such  immense  odds. 

"  It  was  my  privilege,  in  the  winter  of  1876-77, 
to  see  the  work  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society  in  India.     I  remarked — 

"I.  The  hearty  co-operation  of  its  agents  with 
those  of  the  parent  Board.  One  heart  beat  through 
all.  There  was  no  division  of  interest,  no  distrust, 
no  lack  of  sympathy.  The  wives  of  missionaries  as- 
sist in  planning  and  carrying  out  the  work.  One  of 
them  is  Treasurer  for  the  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society,  doing  her  work  with  great  labor  and 
care  ;  others  supervise  Bible-readers,  schools,  and 
medical  dispensaries  which  are  supported  by  the 
Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society.  In  a  word, 
all  laborers,  whether  sent  out  by  the  parent  Board 
or  the  woman's  Board,  are  fused  into  one  grand 
body  of  Christians.  Keenly  would  they  regret  any 
division  or  alienation  at  home. 

"  2.  The  eminent  character  of  the  ladies  sent  out. 
It  would  be  invidious,  perhaps,  to  discriminate  in 
the  midst  of  so  much  intellectual  and  moral  worth. 
Yet  all  who  know  will  consent,  that  in  Miss  Tho- 
burn,  the  first  teacher.  Miss  Swain,  the  first  phy- 
sician, and  Miss  Sparkes,  the  first  directress  of  the 
orphanage,  the  Society  had  agents  of  the  very  first 


334     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

class ;  eminent  illustrations  of  what  women  may 
be,  may  do,  may  endure.  Other  ladies  might  be 
properly  named  with  these,  all  worthy  the  high 
confidence  which  made  them  pioneers  in  the  Indian 
empire. 

"  3.  The  variety  of  work  done,  (i.)  The  orphan- 
age work,  chiefly  at  Bareilly,  provided  not  only 
homes,  but  also  a  plain  domestic  training  and 
Christian  instruction  for  about  two  hundred  orphan 
girls.  Already  many  wives  of  native  pastors  and 
teachers,  and  many  Bible-readers,  have  gone  out  to 
do  their  part  in  the  great  work  of  evangelizing  In- 
dia. (2.)  The  school  work  is  done  by  boarding 
schools,  chiefly  at  Lucknow,  Cawnpore,  and  Morad- 
abad,  and  by  a  large  number  of  elementary  schools 
scattered  throughout  the  missions.  Gradually  the 
opposition  to  the  education  of  girls  is  being  over- 
come, and  the  agents  are  being  prepared  by  which 
wider  good  shall  be  accomplished.  (3.)  The  med- 
ical work  is  carried  on  chiefly  at  the  dispensaries  at 
Bareilly  and  Moradabad,  and  is  not  only  conveying 
great  good  to  suffering  women  and  children,  but 
winning  for  the  benevolent  missionaries  the  good- 
will and  the  confidence  of  the  people.  (4.)  The  ze- 
nana and  Bible-reading  work,  in  which  not  only  a 
number  of  missionary  ladies  are  engaged,  but  also 
a  large  number  of  native  Christian  women,  finding 
from  year. to  year  entrance  into  new  homes,  and  a 
more  ready  attention  to  the  message  of  salvation 
conveyed  by  song,  or  conversation,  or  readings. 

"  In  all  these  forms  of  work  it  was  easy  to  note 
innumerable  striking  incidents,  illustrating  the  needs 


Bishop  Andrews   Tribute.  335 

of  India  women,  the  devotion,  faith,  and  skill  of  the 
missionary  laborers,  the  adaptation  of  the  Gospel  to 
the  human  soul,  and  the  certainty  of  its  final  tri- 
umph— but  there  is  not  space  to  detail  them. 

"  4.  The  meagerness  of  the  supply,  and  the 
gieatness  of  the  demand.  Eighteen  millions  of 
people  are  in  our  peculiar  mission  field  in  India. 
For  their  evangelization  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  is  above  all  others  responsible.  Shall 
twenty  missionaries,  with  their  wives,  sent  out  by 
the  parent  Board,  and  eight  or  ten  ladies,  sent  out 
by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  fulfill 
the  obligations  which  the  Church  has  assumed? 
Ought  not  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Socie- 
ty speedily  to  double  and  quadruple  its  India  agen- 
cies ?  Has  it  not  access  for  this  purpose  to  un- 
measured treasures  now  withheld  from  Him  to  whom 
they  belong,  and  used  by  His  stewards  for  needless 
self-indulgence  ? 

"  May  God,  who  gave  his  Son,  give  also  to  his 
redeemed  daughters  in  America  the  spirit  of  sacri- 
fice which  brought  our  Lord  from  heaven  to  Cal- 
vary 1" 


336    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


QOJ^STITUTIQ]^ 

OF  TWSi 

WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY  OF  THE 
METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 


ARTICLE   I. 

NAME. 

This  Association  shall  be  called  "  The  Woman's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  qf  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church." 

ARTICLE   n. 
PURPOSE. 

The  purpose  of  this  Society  is  to  engage  and  unite 
the  efforts  of  Christian  women  in  sending  female 
missionaries  to  women  in  the  foreign  mission  fields 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  support- 
ing them  and  native  Christian  teachers  and  Bible- 
readers  in  those  fields. 

ARTICLE   in. 
MEMBERSHIP. 

The  payment  of  one  dollar  annually  shall  consti- 
tute membership,  and  twenty  doHars  life  member- 


Cotisiiiutiou.  337 

ship.  Any  person  paying  one  hundred  dollars  shall 
become  an  Honorary  Manager  for  life,  and  the  con- 
tribution of  three  hundred  dollars  shall  constitute 
the  donor  an  Honorary  Patron  for  life. 

ARTICLE   IV. 
ORGANIZATION. 
The  organization  of  this  Society  shall  consist  of  a 
General  Executive  Committee,  Co-ordinate  Branches 
and  Auxiliary  Societies,  to  be  constituted  and  lim- 
ited as  laid  down  in  subsequent  articles. 

ARTICLE   V. 
GENERAL  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

Sec.  I.  The  management  and  general  administra- 
tion of  the  affairs  of  the  Society  shall  be  vested  in  a 
General  Executive  Committee,  consisting  of  the 
Corresponding  Secretary  and  two  delegates  from 
each  Branch,  which  delegates,  together  with  two 
reserves,  shall  be  elected  at  the  Branch  annual 
meetings,  said  meetings  to  be  held  within  two 
months  before  the  meeting  of  the  General  Execu- 
tive Committee.  Said  Committee  shall  meet  at 
Boston  the  third  Wednesday  in  April,  1870,  and 
annually  or  oftener  thereafter,  at  such  time  and 
place  as  the  General  Executive  Committee  shall 
annually  determine. 

Sec.  2.  The  duties  of  the  General  Executive 
Committee  shall  be : 

(i.)  To  take  into  consideration  the  interests  and 
demands  of  the  entire  work  of  the  Society,  as  pre- 


338     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

sented  in  the  reports  of  Branch  Corresponding  Secre- 
taries, and  in  the  estimates  of  the  needs  of  mission 
fields;  to  ascertain  the  financial  condition  of  the 
Society ;  to  appropriate  its  money  in  accordance 
with  the  purposes  and  methods  herein  indicated ;  to 
devise  means  for  carrying  forward  the  work  of  the 
Society ;  fixing  the  amounts  to  be  raised ;  employ- 
ing new  missionaries  ;  designating  their  fields  of  la- 
bor; examining  the  reports  of  those  already  em- 
ployed ;  and  arranging  with  the  several  Branches 
the  work  to  be  undertaken  by  each. 

(2.)  To  appoint  a  committee,  consisting  of  one 
from  each  Branch,  to  have  charge  of  the  mission- 
ary paper  of  the  Society,  and  to  arrange  for  the 
publication  of  an  annual  report  of  the  work  of  the 
Societ)^ 

(3.)  To  transact  any  other  business  that  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Society  may  demand,  provided  all  the 
plans  and  directions  of  the  Committee  shall  be  in 
harmony  with  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution. 

ARTICLE   VI. 
BRANCHES. 

Sec.  I.  The  organizations  already  formed  at  Bos- 
ton, New  York,  Philadelphia,  Chicago,  and  Cincin- 
nati shall  be  regarded  as  co-ordinate  branches  of 
this  Society  on  their  acceptance  of  this  relation- 
ship under  the  provisions  of  the  present  Con- 
stitution. 

Sec.  2.  Other  Branches  may  be  organized  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  following  general  plan  for  dis- 
tricting the  territory  of  the  Church : 


Constitution.  339 

JMstrlctA.  States.  Het.d-quarters. 

I.  New  England  States Boston. 

II.  New  York  and  New  Jersey New  York. 

Ill    Pennsylvania  and  Delaware Philadelphia. 

IV.  Mar}'land,  District  of  Columbia,  and  Virginia  Baltimore. 

V.  Ohio,  West  Virginia,  and  Kentucky CincinnatL 

VI.  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin..  Chicago. 
VII.  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Mmnesota,  Nebraska, 

Colorado,  and  Wyoming  Territory Des  Moines. 

VIII.  Arkansas,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and  Texas.   New  Orleans. 
IX.  Tennessee,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina, 

Alabama,  Georgia,  and  Florida Atlanta. 

X.  Pacific  Coast San  Francisco, 

This  plan,  however,  may  be  changed  by  an  affirm- 
ative vote  of  three  fourths  of  the  members  of  the 
General  Executive  Committee  present  at  any  an- 
nual meeting  of  the  same. 

Sec.  3.  The  officers  of  each  Branch  Society  shall 
consist  of  a  President,  not  less  than  ten  Vice-Presi- 
dents, a  Recording  Secretary,  a  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary, a  Treasurer,  an  Auditor,  and  not  less  than 
ten  Managers.  These,  with  the  exception  of  Audi- 
tor, shall  constitute  an  Executive  Committee  for 
the  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  Branch,  nine 
of  whom  shall  be  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of 
business.  These  officers  shall  be  elected  at  the  an- 
nual meeting  of  the  Branch,  and  shall  continue  in 
office  until  others  are  chosen  in  their  stead. 

Sec.  4.  The  President,  or  one  of  the  Vice-Presi- 
dents, shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the  Branch 
and  of  its  Executive  Committee.  The  Recording 
Secretary  shall  notify  all  meetings  of  the  Branch 
and  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  shall  keep  a 
full  record  of  the  proceedings. 

The  Corresponding  Secretary  shall,  under  the  di- 


340    WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

rection  of  the  Executive  Committee,  conduct  the 
correspondence  of  the  Society  with  foreign  mission- 
aries, with  the  other  Branches,  and  with  its  auxiliary 
Societies,  (hereinafter  mentioned,)  and  shall  endeav- 
or, by  all  practicable  means,  to  form  auxiliary  Soci- 
eties within  the  prescribed  territory  of  the  Branch. 
It  shall  also  be  her  duty  to  present  to  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  General  Executive  Committee  a  re- 
port of  the  work  of  the  Branch  during  the  year,  for 
publication  in  their  Annual  Report. 

The  Treasurer  shall  receive  all  corttributions  to 
the  Branch,  keeping  proper  books  of  accounts,  and 
shall  make  such  disposition  of  the  funds  as  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  may  direct,  each  order  of  the 
Committee  being  duly  signed  by  the  Corresponding 
Secretary. 

Sec.  5.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  have  full 
supervision  of  all  the  work  assigned  to  the  Branch 
by  the  General  Executive  Committee,  and  may 
order  the  disbursement  of  the  funds  required  for 
that  work,  provide  for  all  the  wants  and  receive 
all  the  reports  of  the  missionaries,  Bible-women, 
and  teachers,  who,  by  the  plan  of  the  General 
Executive  Committee,  are  to  be  supported  by  their 
Branch. 

Sec.  6.  No  Branch  shall  project  new  work  cr  un- 
dertake the  support  of  new  missionaries,  except  by 
the  direction  or  with  the  approval  of  the  General 
Executive  Committee. 

Sec.  7.  Each  Branch  may  make  its  own  by-laws 
regulating  its  meetings  and  those  of  its  Executive 
Committee,  also  any  others  which  may  be  deeifted 


Constiiution.  34! 

necessary  to  its  efficiency,  not  inconsistent  with  this 
Constitution. 

ARTICLE    VII. 
AUXILIARY  SOCIETIES. 

Any  number  of  women  who  shall  contribute  not 
less  than  $10  annually,  may  form  a  society  auxiliary 
to  that  Branch  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  within 
whose  prescribed  territorial  limits  they  nlay  reside, 
by  appointing  a  President,  three  or  more  Vice-Pres- 
idents, or  Managers,  a  Recording  Secretary,  Corre- 
sponding Secretary,  and  Treasurer,  who  together 
shall  constitute  a  local  Executive  Committee. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

RELATION   TO    THE    MISSIONARY  AUTHORITIES   OF 
THE   CHURCH. 

Sec.  I.  This  Society  will  work  in  harmony  with, 
and  under  the  supervision  of,  the  authorities  of  the 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  be  subject  to  their  approval  in  the  em- 
ployment and  remuneration  of  missionaries,  the 
designation  of  their  fields  of  labor,  and  in  the  gen- 
eral plans  and  designs  of  its  work. 

Sec.  2.  All  missionaries  supported  by  the  So- 
ciety shall  be  approved  by  the  constituted  mis- 
sionary authorities  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  shall  labor  under  the  direction  of  the 
authorities  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  of  the  particular  mis- 
sions of  the  Society  in  which  they  may  be  severally 


342   WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 

employed  ;  and  they  shall  be  'subject  to  the  same 
rules  and  regulations  that  govern  the  other  mission- 
aries in  those  particular  missions. 

Sec.  3.  The  funds  of  the  Society  shall  not  be 
raised  by  collections  or  subscriptions  taken  during 
any  Church  services  or  in  any  promiscuous  public 
meetings,  but  shall  be  raised  by  securing  members, 
life  members,  honorary  managers,  and  patrons,  and 
by  such  other  methods  as  will  not  interfere  with  the 
ordinary  collections  or  contributions  for  the  treasury 
of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 

ARTICLE   IX. 

CHANGE   OF  CONSTITUTION. 

This  Constitution  may  be  changed  at  any  annual 
meeting  of  the  General  Executive  Committee,  by  a 
two-thirds  vote  of  each  Branch  delegation,  notice 
of  the  proposed  change  having  been  given  at  the 
previous  annual  meeting;  but  Article  VIII  shall 
not  be  changed  except  with  the  concurrence  of  the 
Board  of  Managers  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


BRANCH    LIMITS    AND   HEAD-QUARTERS. 


NEW  ENGLAND  BRANCH 
Includes  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,   Mas- 
sachusetts,   Rhode   Island,  and   Connecticut,  with 
head-quarters  at  Boston. 


Constitution.  343 


NEW   YORK    BRANCH 


Includes   New  York  and    New  Jersey,  with  liead- 
quarters  at  New  York. 


PHILADELPHIA   BRANCH 


Includes  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware,   with    head- 
quarters at  Philadelphia. 


BALTIMORE   BRANCH 


Includes  Maryland,  District  of  Columbia,  and  East- 
ern Virginia,  with  head-quarters  at  Baltimore. 

CINCINNATI   BRANCH 

Includes  Ohio,  Western  Virginia,  and  Kentucky, 
with  head-quarters  at  Cincinnati. 

NORTH-WESTERN   BRANCH 

Includes  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  Wiscon- 
sin, with  head-quarters  at  Chicago. 

WESTERN   BRANCH 

Includes  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Minnesota,  Ne- 
braska, Colorado,  and  Wyoming  Territory,  witli 
head-quarters  at  Des  Moines. 

ATLANTA  BRANCH 

Includes  Tennessee,  North    Carolina,  South  Car- 
olina, Alabama,  Georgia,  and   Florida,  with  head- 
quarters at  Atlanta. 
23 


344   WOMAN'S   P'OREIGN    MISSIONARY   SOCIETY. 


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Payments  to  Woman's  For.  Miss.  Society.     345 


PAYMENTS  TO  WOMAN'S  FOREIGN  MISSION- 
ARY SOCIETY. 

The  payment  of  $i  constitutes  a  member  for  one 
year. 

The  payment  of  $20  constitutes  a  life-member. 

The  payment  of  $100  constitutes  an  honorary 
life-manager. 

The  payment  of  $300  constitutes  an  honorary 
life-patron. 

The  payment  of  $30  supports  an  orphan  for  one 
year  in  India. 

The  payment  of  $40  supports  an  orphan  for  one 
year  in  Mexico. 

The  payment  of  $60  supports  a  Bible-reader  for 
one  year  in  India. 

The  payment  of  $24  supports  a  deaconess  for  one 
year  in  China. 

The  payment  of  S30  supports  a  scholarship  for 
one  year  in  India. 

The  payment  of  $40  supports  a  scholarship  for 
one  year  in  Japan. 

N.  B. — Yearly  subscriptions  must  not  be  applied 
on  special  work. 


346     WOMAN'S  FOREIGN   MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 


FORM  OF  BEQUEST  AND  DEVISE  TO  WOMAN'S  FOREIGN 
MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Bequest.  {Personal  Estate)  —  I  give  and  be- 
queath to  the  Trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  incorporated  under  the  General  Laws  of 
the  State  of  Ohio,  the  sum  of  dollars, 

in  trust,  to  be  held  for  the  benefit  and  applied  ac- 
cording to  the  direction  of  the  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

Devise.  {Real  Estate.) — I  give  and  devise  to  the 
Trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  incor- 
porated under  the  General  Laws  of  the  State  of 
Ohio,  all  that  certain  [here  insert  a  short  descrip- 
tion of  the  land,  house,  or  other  real  estate,]  with 
the  appurtenances,  in  fee  simple,  in  trust,  the  same 
to  be  held  for  the  benefit  and  applied  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Note. — Prompt  notice  of  all  bequests  and  devises  should  be  given 
to  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  branch  within  whose  territory 
the  donor  resides. 


THE   END. 


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